Deadly Night
by WolfyMagician
Summary: Alternate not-human Universe. Jack Skellington and the residents of Halloween Town are now teenagers in Halloween Academy! But when Sally, the toughest teacher's daughter, transfers in, will ladies-man Jack realize what these new-found feelings are?
1. Chapter 1

**Deadly Night**

**A/N: I just felt like doing this. I don't own Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas because...I'm not him...**

**Tell me what ya think? ;]**

_Ages:_

_Jack, Oogie, Sally, Classmates - 17_

* * *

Jack Skellington grinned.

Ah, how he loved the way pretty much any girl would be willing to do anything for him. Really. All it took was for him to open his mouth and say something. Sometimes, he didn't even have to say anything at all!

_"Hey, I need some help with this problem..." _

_"Why, I'll do the whole thing, Jacky!"_

_"Oh, darn, I dropped my lunch money again..."_

_"I have a lot! You can eat my lunch, Jack, I don't mind!"_

Hey, it's not that much trouble being the Pumpkin Prince, after all.

Even the teachers showed _him_ decent respect. He was polite to them, too, yes, but the whole Academy truly centered around him and his father.

Like right now:

"Jack, what is your answer?"

"Hmm?" Oops, daydreaming again. "Ah, why Doctor Finklestein, I'm not so sure."

"Huh. Alright, what do you think, Oogie?" That, itself, said something; Finklestein would _never_ let any other student answer with an "I'm not so sure." From what Jack remembered, the old man would go as far as screaming at the student until he/she/it made some progress. But, even then, he would still shoot sneers at their direction until the end of the week or whenever he'd forget. As he had a huge brain, _that_ could take up to a year or so. But clearly he did not want to do that to the Pumpkin King's _only _son.

Oogie, unfortunately, was not that blessed.

"Huh? Me? Well, why don't we roll the dice and see!" That was Jack's best friend for you, always trying to use his _dice_ to annoy all the teachers. His fifty-pound sack definitely got the _attention-is-good-thing_ theory from Jack, though.

"I would be more than happy to give you double detention, Mister Boogie."

"Psh. That doesn't even scare me. I'm the Boogie Man!" He laughed, puffing his dark-green, burlap chest out.

At this, all present female classmates giggled, swooning.

Of course_ Jack_ would not miss an opportunity to flaunt about_ his_ distinct popularity with the ladies of Halloween Town. Standing on his seat (which only made his skull touch the very high ceiling, mind you) he put his bony hands on his hips and declared:

"Sir, I do know the answer; I'm Jack, the Pumpkin King!"

Yup, that did it.

Numerous squeals and sighs broke out in the large classroom, with several girls waving delightedly to Jack and sending him over-exaggerated kisses. He, naturally, winked at them and proceeded to 'catch' all the kisses.

This, inevitably, ended with near-hysterical giggling and two girls almost passing out from nosebleeds.

And_ this_ caused a riot with the vampire brothers...

"Settle down! SETTLE DOWN NOW! _IGOR_!"

_**Crack!**_

The hunch-backed Teacher's Aide sighed, holding the whip. It was a shame that he would never use this on anyone. "Guys, really?"

Then a chorus of "Sorry, Igor!" ensued and the class was once again silent, save a few small laughter here and there. Compared to everyone else, he was much more likable than any teacher.

"Thanks, all."

"Now that we've manage to act our age," Finklestein began coldly, glaring evilly at Jack and Oogie's triumphant, snickering faces, "I would also like to announce that we will be having a new student today. She is extremely shy, so if I hear anything about her being teased, I will personally make sure every single one of you receives detention with me for _the year_."

The atmosphere changed dramatically; if Doctor Finklestein, the toughest, strictest teacher in the whole school (despite his short height) who believed in students being able to stand up for themselves, _warned_ (or _threatened_, however you saw it as) them to be nice to a girl who he seemed to _care_ about...well, nobody would mess with her, that's for sure.

"Very well, no questions." He walked over to the door and stuck his large, cut-horizontally head out. "Sally, please come in."

And when she did pass through the doorway and stood in front of the class, head bowed slightly, and holding her books to her chest, Jack dropped the pencil he was spinning and his jaw came off. It hit the floor with a _clank._

"Everyone, meet Sally."

_Hello, Sally._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Hard-To-Get Attracts Skeletons**

**

* * *

**

She was perfect.

Long, luscious red hair that seemed to be made out of never-ending, blood-red yarn fell down to her back, near her waist. Her eyes were an honest black, reflecting only her nervousness. She was wearing the standard school uniform, yes, but it seemed to be exactly made for her alone. Of all females in the school, Jack had to admit that she had the best _curves_. He mentally thanked whoever designed the skirts so _short_...

"Introduce yourself, dear," Doctor Finklestein quietly told her, motioning to the awestruck class.

"Oh. Uhm...hi, everyone. I'm Sally."

Jack shut his eyes, smiling at the sweet melody that was Sally's voice. Who was she? Why hadn't he _seen _her before? Even if she was just new, wouldn't he at least have heard about her somewhere in his seventeen years of _afterlife_? Since his dad was the King and knew of everyone...surely he must have known there was a _Sally_ in Halloween Town!

_'Hmm,'_ Jack thought, frowning, _'why does my chest hurt? And why do I feel warmth on my cheeks?'  
_  
He wondered vaguely if he was sick; people _were _falling ill suddenly at this time of the year...

"Well,_ hello_, Sally," came another voice, shattering Jack's dreamy thoughts, "may I introduce myself? Oogie Boogie." Oogie stood up and made his way over to a confused Sally. "But you can just call me...The Boogie Man!" He chuckled, taking her hand and bending down to kiss it. Several female classmates fumed at this, but not as much as all the guys who had their eyes on the new girl, Jack included.

Blushing furiously, Sally managed a weak smile. "H-hello, Boogie Man..."

"Oogie, behave yourself," said Finklestein sharply. Then, in a more soothing voice, "Sally, Oogie here will escort you to your seat. Boogie, it's the vacant one beside you and Jack."  
_  
'Splendid!'_ the Pumpkin Prince cheered in his mind as he heard this. He couldn't contain the grin that had begun to form on his lips.

Oogie, too, couldn't believe his luck; in no time, he was confident he _could_ win Sally's heart. "Wow, thanks so much, Finklestein! Y'know, you're alright for an old codger." He took the newbie's hand and led her back towards his desk, turning only to say, "Tell you what, Doc: I _won't _put a man-eating snake in your office next period!"

"Just be quiet, Oogie, and kindly answer any of Sally's questions. I'm sure she needs help learning our routines."

Jack sat up straight, watching Sally settle down beside him. Up close, he could see what kind of monster she was: a rag-doll.

There were stitches all over her pale blue skin, crisscrossing in the most interesting pattern. He wondered what could be inside of her, or whether she _had_ any insides at all. Her skin looked soft enough to touch, tempting him greatly. He, of course, wouldn't just_ reach _out and feel her; that wasn't his style.

He'd win her over.

Yes. He could do that.

"Science is finished. Please put your materials away and wait for the next teacher." Finklestein briskly walked over to his desk, grabbed his suitcase, and left. In their school, instead of moving from class to class, students remained in the same classroom (save Tactical Scaring, Potion Making, and Music classes) and three teachers would simply take turns lecturing them.

Doctor Finklestein taught Math, Science, and Inventing. Professor Corpse was in charge of the Historical Halloween and Music departments. This only left Three Mister Hydes with Tactical Scaring, Potion Making, and Art. (Yes, each Hydes was in charge of one of the three subjects.)

As they had just finished Science, the class relaxed. Next would be Historical Halloween, but not before a ten-minute, in-classroom break.

Jack had planned on using this time period to get a good impression on Sally, but unfortunately, it seemed that Oogie had as well.

"So, Doll-Face," the sack began, moving over to sit on Sally's desk, facing her. "Wanna tell me 'bout you? 'Cause trust me when I say, you are the hot—er, _prettiest_ ghoul I've ever seen."

Jack blanched. How pathetic! _He_ could do _much_ better than _that_!

"Ooh. I—uh—that's sweet of you. But I don't really have anything to say about me. I'm just new..." She looked away shyly, but this only resulted in her making her first eye-contact with Jack Skellington. Immediately, she flushed purple, but couldn't break the gaze. Jack beamed, inwardly laughing at his good fortune. Jack—one, Oogie—zero.

_This _wouldn't take long _at all_.

"Hello, Sally," he greeted, shifting his position so as his knees where facing hers. He made extra sure that they touched, and his self-confidence boosted when she did not complain. "You _do_ look extremely breathtaking. How long have you been in Halloween Town?"

"Uh...a while, I guess..."

"Hmm. Why haven't _we_ had a fateful encounter before now then?"

"I—erm, don't really go out too much..." When she finally managed to shift her gaze to something else, Sally swore something loudly exploded near her chest area. If it was her heart, would the Doctor be upset if something was broken? That would be bad.

Jack sensed his opening and, in one swift motion, cupped the rag-doll's face, ignoring the disbelieving, spluttering sound Oogie was making. He pulled her close to his own face and felt at ease; this was _his_ zone, he knew what he was doing the best when it came to _this_. After all, he had flirted with pretty much _every_ girl in his year. (He was now working on older ladies and one or two younger ones.)

Surely Sally wouldn't be_ that_ different.

Their noses were now touching and the whole class took it all in. To most, it was another one of Jack's flirting sessions. No big deal, he did that at least once every two periods.

No, they were just interested in seeing the new girl's reaction. They had already made bets on the time it would take for her to fall head-over-heels for Skellington's charm and seal the deal with a ten-minute kiss. So far, half the class had their money set for before the next period even started.

Jack ignored them, focusing all his attention on Sally. Truth be told, he was somewhat intrigued by the strange feeling bubbling up inside of him. He had never felt the extremes of _this_ before, just a few upset-stomachs here and there when he saw a particularly good-looking banshee. But what was this?

"Darling, my name is Jack Skellington. I am the Pumpkin King." He then made to kiss her.

And that's when everything went downhill.

Almost in a blur, Sally pushed the skeleton off of her, knocking him back to his seat, all the while confusing everyone. Oogie, however, laughed and pointed at the dazed Jack. "Hah! She totally _hates_ you!"

She looked extremely upset, too. "I heard about you, Jack. You go through every female in this school as quickly as you change _clothes_. I, however, am not going to let you use me. Just because you can do that to them doesn't mean you can to me." Sally's eyes narrowed as she realized what she had just said to the Town's future _ruler_. She normally would never lose her cool like that!

But...she did feel a connection with him a while ago. It was a nice feeling. Perhaps that was why she felt so hurt when she realized just _who _was messing with her emotions. The Doctor had warned her to stay away from Skellington, and that girls were just another game to him. He made her promise to not fall for his tricks.

And so she wouldn't!

Packing her belongings, she stood up and walked away. They saw her open the door, leave, and slam it shut.

"_Daaamn_," Oogie commented, giving a low whistle. "She is _so _going to be my girlfriend!"

The other males raised their eyebrows.

A girl who would _willingly_ turn down _Jack Skellington_ was a girl they were _not_ about to miss. Oogie could try, but he was against several other guys with their own ideas of courting. Who knew what type attracted Sally?

But as Jack stood up, still staring at the door that the first girl to push him away vanished through, he only had one thought on his mind:

_'I __**will**__ win Sally over if it's the last thing I do!'_

Pumpkin Kings like challenges, correct?

* * *

**A/N: Eh, don't worry, I'm JackXSally all the way!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Notes and Jellied Brains Lead to Indirect Kisses**

"Pst! _Sally!_ Pass it back!"

Jack unsuccessfully tried to hold an annoyed facial expression, but he just could help but smile whenever the rag-doll glanced back at him with a frown. She looked positively _adorable _when she was frustrated!

"Stop passing me notes!" Scowling, she aimed and threw the crumpled piece of paper that Jack _constantly_ pestered her to read at his skull. To her immense exasperation, his enthusiasm for her never seemed to end.

"Do you want to be my girlfriend yet?" Jack asked for the umpteenth time, opening the paper and showing it off to her. She could barely make out the **"I LOVE YOU, PLEASE GO OUT WITH ME!"** at the center through all the crease marks from extensive crumpling.

"No! Stop asking me that!"

Jack sniffled mockingly, resting his head on his arm as Sally returned her precious attention to the teacher.

He remembered feeling so energized the day after they had met. Like he had promised himself, he would try to win her heart. That was his goal. But when he came to school and sat in his seat, he was amazed to find her ignoring him, despite the closeness of their desks. Oogie had been no help either; he and the other guys, sensing their opportunity, surrounded her, each one trying to win her over (although his best friend denied doing such thing.) Jack managed to eavesdrop that Sally had _tried_ to switch out of the class but was not allowed to as her Entrance Exam score was too high (their current class was the most advanced.)

So she was forced to stay, and Jack was forced to take desperate measures...

...which involved _extreme_ courting.

That had been all of three days ago, and as it was Friday, there would be no school for the weekends tomorrow. Perfect for a date!

If she ever _argeed _to it...

"Very well, class dismissed," called out Professor Corpse, waving his hand to the large doorway. "Please head to lunch now and we can continue later."

Jack, who had not been listening at all the whole period, lifted his head in surprise; the black chalkboard that stretched from one end of the wall to the other (and this was saying something because the classroom was luxurious and_ very_ wide) was filled with detailed notes, charts, and various timelines.

_Damn,_ he wasn't even taking notes! The only thing he remembered writing were love notes for Sally, all probably ripped up and in her backpack.

But just as he was about to start copying them, the writing slowly faded away, not a trace of words left on the board in mere seconds. He groaned, rubbing his head. He could _not_ fail Historical Halloween! With their final exam coming up, how exactly was he going to pass? If he didn't leave with full marks, his dad, the current Pumpkin King, would be very upset!

That was something he had successfully avoided for many years now. He wasn't about to start _just_ yet.

"Ugh...I am so _dead._.." Jack rested his aching head on the desk, shutting his eyes. He considered wooing a few bookworms for the help until something lightly tapped him on his skull. Turning his skull sideways, he could only see a leather-bound cover facing him.  
_  
What the heck?  
_  
"Here, use this."

At the sound of Sally's voice, Jack quickly sat up. It was her! "Huh?"

"The notes." She opened the notebook that she was holding out to him. He didn't care to look at it, but he knew it was everything he had failed to copy down. "Once you finish, I want it back."

"Oh...well, fantastic! Hahahah..." Laughing nervously, he accepted the item and lifted it to his face. He could see that it looked like the ones Finklestein kept all his answer-keys in. Why Sally had one like it, he had no idea, but at the moment, he didn't care.

"I want it back," she repeated, giving him a weary look.

"You'll get it..." Gingerly, Jack sniffed the notebook. Ah, how it smelled like Sally! A hint of death, but the aroma of roses and chemicals lingered, making him breathe a sigh of content.

Sally, who had been watching the whole time, rolled her eyes and muttered, "Sicko."

"Mmm," Jack said dreamily, "love you, too."

"Good to know." She turned around. "Bye, Jack."

"Huh?" The skeleton saw her head for the door and wave to the Hanging Tree, the only guy who did _not_ flirt with her. Perhaps that was why they were such close friends...

Together, the two walked off, leaving the Pumpkin Prince to himself.

Carefully slipping Sally's book in his bag, Jack slowly got up and stretched. He wanted lunch.

* * *

"Sally, would it be okay with you if we name our first born Jack, too?"

The rag-doll made no response. She decided that she was full and placed the half-eaten Jellied Brains onto her tray. Jack, who had finished his own meal, smiled at her. She took the hint, but was slightly surprised.

"You could have it, but wouldn't it be better to get a new one?"

"No, I'm too lazy to get up," Jack replied breezily, pulling Sally's food towards him. "And I'm not really hungry. I just want to eat from _your_ plate with _your _fork."

Now she understood. "_Gross!_ If you want a kiss, don't get it like that."

"You won't kiss me, though. I want some sort of contact, so I'll settle for an indirect one." To prove his point, Jack scooped some of the brains onto Sally's fork and placed it in his mouth. He did not take it out, but grinned.

"Eww. That's sick, Jack." Sally stuck her tongue out at him.

Fork still in mouth, his voice sounded muffled. "If that passes through your lips again, it'll be mine."

Instinctively, she withdrew. "How? Will you cut it off?" He had sounded so serious, and her own father told her that a few times, that she did not get the joke. Was it really a bad thing to do that? It wasn't even as though it will hurt her; she was just too worried about the thought of having to ask her father to sew it back on.

"No, silly. I'll just get to suck on it when we kiss. Lots of girls let me have their tongues." He paused thoughtfully. "Hmm, we just had an indirect kiss, Sally-Doll!"

All of Sally's seriousness went away and she scowled. She blamed herself for asking; after all, did she _really_ expect a decent reply that didn't involve girls? "I really believed you there, Jack. If that's the consequence of sticking my tongue out, then you'll never see mine again." _'Sally-Doll? What is _wrong _with this one?' _she wondered tiredly.

"Ooh, meanie," sighed Jack, finally pulling the fork out of his mouth. He collected another scoop of brains and offered it to her. "I'll feed ya!"

"No, thanks, I don't want_ 'another' _indirect kiss."

"Then how about—"

"I don't want that kind of kiss either."

"What do you want? Hugs? French kissing? Ooh, you want _me_, huh, Sally? Well, I'll be more than willing to—"

"I know what you're about to say, so just don't."

"Okay, so how about a date?" Jack's theory: keep asking Sally out in the most random of times until she is caught off-guard and agrees.

Once that was complete, he'd just hold her to her word. Simple.

"No. Really."

"Why not?"

Before she could reply the answer that was _most_ obvious to her, a loud "squee!"' erupted from behind them. Then a pair of webbed fingers found their way around Jack's skull, covering his eye sockets. _"Guess who, __Jacky__!"_

"Hello, Sea," replied Jack with a small grin, placing his hands over the ones on his face. Sally quietly excused herself and, holding her tray, began to walk off. If the other two noticed, they did not say anything.

When she was pried off, Undersea Gal sat on her friend's lap. "Can I have a kiss?" she asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Heh, sure." Just as Jack leaned in, he caught sight of Sally's retreating figure and pang of pain went through him. He had no idea what it was, but he could probably relate it to a mixture of guilt and embarrassment; shoot, how was he going to _win _her over if she didn't take him seriously?

He was only momentarily distracted when Sea yanked on his neck and firmly pressed her lips to his. As this was not something new, he complied, holding her close.

Sally looked back and smirked. Jack was being Jack again. She felt odd, as though she had lost something, but didn't. What _was_ it? It's not as if she_ liked_ him or anything. He was Jack Skellington, for crying out loud! They weren't even _friends_, so how could she _possibly_ return the affection that probably wasn't even_ real_? Loathing, that's what she felt! Right?

_Right?_

Her smirk slowly faded as she continued to think. In fact, she was so deep into her thoughts that she did not notice Jack spot her and pull away from his classmate, horrified. But when she _did_ see his shocked gaze, she blinked and spun on her heel. Oops. The rag-doll hurried off, pausing only to place her tray on the pile of dirty ones near the door. She could hear him calling out for her but did not respond.

Jack studied her every move and could not find a trace of anger in the way she had exited. So she clearly _wasn't _mad. But he was; it bothered him that now Sally probably thought she was nothing to him and that she really _shouldn't_ accept his invitations. _Damn_, he had just lost a whole lot of points.

"Ja-a-ck!" complained the girl in his arms, tugging at him. "What happened?"

"I have no idea," he replied hollowly, looking at the seat Sally had once occupied. "I don't know anymore..."

* * *

**A/N: Hehehehe, doesn't Jack look like the type to have the 'friends with benefits' type of relationship with the girls? No, he doesn't go _that _far (it will be explained in the next chpater).**

**Reviews would be epic! I really want to know how well this story is going so far and if I should continue or not. For all my errors, I apologize. It's really late right now and I'm listening to 'Hail to Mr. Oogie,' hahah. ]**

**(P.S. I am a die-hard JackXSally fan, so under no circumstances will I change the pairings. Just a warning for the confusing later chapters...)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Pranks and Perfumes**

"_Dad_! I'm going out now!"

Jack Skellington jumped onto the staircase rails and successfully stayed on his feet as he slid down, spiral-wise, to the bottom. His feet no sooner touched the carpeted floor when a blur of white faced him, barking.

"Ah-ah, Zero, you can't come!" He waved the ghost-puppy away, grinning as it whined at him. "Aw, well, I promise next time, alright? Good boy." Chuckling, he petted his pet and opened the door, turning only to yell out, "See ya, Father!"

Upstairs, the current Pumpkin King groaned, rubbing his undead temples. "Where did that boy get his _loudness...?"_

Jack literally jumped down the front stairs, climbing the gate instead of pushing it open. He found his father's _boring _lifestyle _outside_ the Halloween season unfitting for him. How exactly could the ruler go about _walking and talking_ to the residents _quietly_ instead of _screaming_ like a maniac and _pouncing_ off the _walls_? He had no idea, but he was determined to be a better king in that sense.

"Jack! Over here! Finklestein's window is finally _open_!" Oogie's voice floated to him from somewhere behind the wall separating the evil scientist's tower from the town. They had taken it upon themselves to surprise the doctor with pranks and scares they felt he _deserved._

Today, Harlequin accompanied them. "Hey, Skell."

"Good to see you, Clown-boy," Jack returned, smirking. "You better be up for this."

"Psh, I need revenge on the old quack for giving me_ triple _detention."

"Shh! Shut up, this is the perfect moment to move!" Oogie didn't need to say more; in a few stealthy strides, the boys managed to slip underneath the hole they had worked so had to create underneath Finklestein's barrier.

"We're in." Jack pressed himself against the tree, examining the open window. He saw nobody and nodded. "Now!"

Quickly, they darted to the house, stopping at said window. They knew it was the only blind spot from everywhere _inside_ the residence.

"We brought vanilla and lavender extract," Oogie muttered, nose wrinkling as he handed his friend the 'bomb' made out of dead mice. Jack snickered in response.

"This stuff'll smell _horrible_ in his house. How long d'you think it'll last?"

"At least a week."

"Excellent! May I?" The prince crouched down, his head leveled with the windowsill. Oogie just shook his head in amusement.

Without further ado, the perfumed rodent-ball was thrown into the window, making a loud _thud_ on the other side. The trio began giggling, waiting for the angry response they were sure awaited them. Jack and Oogie recalled the old man yelling_, "Ah! Those two monsters! When I get my hands on them, I'll have extra body parts for my experiments!"_ once or twice before mixed in with the most _interesting_ profanities. Harlequin only remembered being spanked.

But the noise from inside that assured them their bomb had exploded was _not_ of a many growl or a deep yelp of surprise. No, the sound was a female _shriek_, not even one to confuse Finklestein's by (and his voice could go very high.)

"What the_ hell_?" Oogie demanded, suddenly interested in looking in the open window. He made to stand up, but Jack had beaten him to it.

"I don't see anyone," he whispered, scanning the room. He turned to look at Oogie, but then he felt a hot, sharp pain on the side of his skull. Flabbergasted, he was suddenly faced with a pretty girl's annoyed facial expression.

"What do you think you're_ doing_ here?" Sally hissed, holding a wet, wooden spoon threateningly. Her white shirt was dripping with a substance Jack could clearly see as the flower extracts.

"Ah, my beautiful maiden! Er, how your face _shines_ in this morning even while you look like you're about to _murder _me..." he managed lamely, holding the spot where he was slapped. Sally didn't look the least bit bothered by this. In fact, she smiled triumphantly.

"It felt _so_ nice to hit you like that."

"Ah. I see. Oh, sweetheart, I can see past that white shirt of yours. A black bra? _Ooh_, those kinds of things _turn me o_—"

_**Slap!**_ This time, the spoon broke.

Covering her damp shirt with the apron she was wearing, the rag-doll muttered, "_Sicko_."

"Why, _hello_ there, gorgeous," Oogie greeted, pushing a hurting Jack away. He leaned against the wall and smiled up at the girl. "I apologize for my friend's rude behavior. He can be such a _handful_ at times."

"Aren't you part of this, too?"

"Uh—hahahah, about that, I was—"

"You know that Harlequin just left right now, don't you?"

The two boys looked around in surprise. Yup, he definitely fled_. Wimp._

"So it's just us." Oogie nodded thoughtfully. "How 'bout a date with the _Boogie Man_, Rag-Doll?"

Sally sighed. "No, I'm sorry, Oogie. Thank you, though."

"Hey! Why are you so nice turning _him _down? You always tell _me_ off!" Jack glared defiantly at the person in question, arms folded across his thin chest.

"He doesn't ask me to a date every five minutes. _And _he doesn't make inappropriate moments regarding...you get it."

"Well, I wouldn't say anything if you just agreed to be my lover!"

"_Lover_? Isn't that a bit _too_ much?"

"I figured that if I changed the title, it might interest you more!"

"Jack, I _don't _want to be your girlfriend, lover, fiancée, wife, steady, or _whatever _you want me to be to you. Am I clear?" She examined the wooden stick in her hand that used to be a spoon. "You're paying for this."

"Okay, okay, I get it. Hard to get. You'll be my _Juliet_, then." Jack nodded as though he had just made a bargain with the rag-doll.

"Oh, forget it. You're _hopeless_."

_"Sally!"_ came another voice from the top of the tower, shattering their pitiful conversation. "I smell something _foul_! What are you putting in my soup?"

"Nothing! Uh, an _animal_—" (she glared angrily at Jack) "—knocked over the flower extracts and broke it! I'm cleaning it up now!"

"I better not smell it again!"

"You won't, Dad, promise!" Nervously, Sally knelt down to retrieve the dead mouse, holding it by its cut tail. She then proceeded to throw it at the skeleton teenager watching her. It bounced off his skull, leaving a smudge on the white surface. "Go away, you two."

"Sally?_ Finklestein's_ your dad?" Jack suppressed a shudder while Oogie pretended to vomit. The old man had a _wife_ to—

"Yes, he is."

"Do you have a _mother_?" They had no idea the elderly scientist could _love_. Unless, of course, he brainwashed the woman. Yes, that was much more rational.

"I'm not sure. You know, it's rude to ask personal questions." Sally frowned at them. "Well, I'm going to take a bath. If you get me in trouble, I swear you'll regret it."

But Jack wasn't paying the least bit attention. "Can I shower with you?"

On the walk home, Jack had to endure several people questioning him about the red hand mark on his left cheek. Oogie simply laughed the whole way.

* * *

**A/N: I dunno, I'm dumb. Review? ;]**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: My Annoying Romeo**

_One day._

That was all Sally wanted. Just a full twenty-four hours consisting of _zero_ Jack Skellington and his deranged ideas about her becoming his love.

Was that really _too_ much to ask for?  
_  
Karma._ That was it. She shouldn't have begged her father to allow her to attend the stupid Academy in the first place! Look what it _got_ her!

A flirty, hormonal seventeen-year-old skeleton yelling up at her window like she was deaf.

"Sally! Sally! Where art thou, Sally?" It was amazing how _obnoxiously _loud someone could get! He made her question the definition of persistence and determination.

Oh, and _idiocy_.

"Sally, Sally, let down your hair! So I can climb the blood-red stair!"

One more time. She gritted her teeth. _'If that moron yells out once more...'_

**"SALLY! MY LOVE, WHY ARE YOU HIDING FROM ME?"**

"Jack, _**SHUT UP**_!"

There, she snapped. Whatever piece of sanity she had once firmly held just slipped out of her blue hands and now she was left to fall.

It seemed that her hard work of ignoring the guy for the past hour had just proved to be a useless act.

Great. It had gone _so well_, after all!

"Ah, you have returned to me! Why not jump down? I will be sure to catch you!"

"The only thing I want you to catch is a deadly disease that will slowly and painfully _kill _you!"

"What a lovely thing to say! _I love you, too_!"

"_Argh!_ Go away, Skellington!"

"Are we playing hard to get again? You know I only _love_ the challenge!"

"I swear I'll _slap_ you again if you don't shut up!"

"Is that a promise? Are you _offering_, Miss Sally?"

_**"JACK!"**_

"Oh, I see. Wait a moment."

And it was finally quiet. Sally personally had no idea why the heck the idiot stopped bothering her, but she didn't really care. If the blissful silence remained, nothing else mattered.

Content, she settled on her bed, pulling out the book she had been trying to read_ before_ Jack had interrupted her.

It was Saturday afternoon, cool and dark outside despite the sunny weather. Then again, Halloween Town was _never _known for being a sunshiny, joyous place to indulge in. No, dark and creepy was the _perfect_ setting.

Doctor Finklestein was out, Igor with him. They left her to stay home by herself, and she was completely _satisfied_ by the decision.

Of course, until_ he_ came along and saw her gazing out her large window. Things had gone downhill from there.

"Hmm. He gave up," Sally murmured, turning the page in her book.

Again, she was about to be proved wrong

**Crash!**

"Ah, perfect position, Sally! It's nice to know you were thinking about the same thing!" Jack, grinning across his face, jumped onto the bed and landed gracefully before Sally, crouching on top of her. She was now lying on her back, watching him with wide eyes as he towered over her shaking body.

It took only a few seconds for their current position to sink in.

Then—

_**Slap!**_

"Get off, Jack! What is your problem?"

"Huh? Didn't you want to make lo—?" He was suddenly cut off with a shove.

"_Eww!_ I can't believe you actually _said_ that!" Sally punched him downwards on his very thick skull, fuming.

Jack blinked, rubbing his head. "Wait, I'm getting confused here. Is this foreplay?"

**SMACK!**

"No, _that _is."

* * *

**A/N: Fail chapter right here...this is pretty short, so...sorry...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: My Annoying Romeo (Part 2)**

"—and so Oogie told me to roll the dice and said that if it didn't land on snake-eyes, I wouldn't have to ask the witch-twins out, y'know? I mean, they really aren't my type." Jack paused, considering. "You are. I love everything about you."

"Hmm. Yeah, great," Sally murmured, her attention still on the photograph book in her hands. Igor had given it to her as a present a while back, but it was still nice to go through past memories again. Currently, she was focused on her first birthday picture. She smiled slightly at the sight of her, young and crying, on a large metal chair, holding onto her father's small hand. He, for one, was laughing as he stood protectively behind her, supporting her to her feet. Igor, right in the middle, was clearly trying to eat the cake, chubby-faced and all.

"You looked so adorable! Why didn't we meet before now?" Jack, who had been patiently watching Sally for the past hour, glanced over her shoulder. He ran his hands through her hair, sighing.

"I have no idea, but I wished it had lasted longer." She swatted the skeletal fingers away. "Sicko."

"We've never hung out like this before! It feels so enthralling, don't you think so?" He moved closer to her, enjoying the softness of her mattress. Although she had already warned him _not _to even go near her bed, he had pushed his luck anyway. Hey, it was worth it! She didn't even complain.

"Not really," muttered said rag-doll, her voice purposely loud enough for him to hear. She opened her mouth to add about her distaste for Jack's presence when they heard a loud metallic _slam _from the bottom of the tower.

Sally panicked. Finkelstein would _murder_ her if she saw a male in her bedroom, let alone the one he despised the most! He would lock her up for all of her afterlife if he caught them in her small bed!

They weren't doing anything, but would he seriously _listen_ to that?

"Jack! _Get up_!"

"Huh?"

"Really, c'mon—" Without waiting for him to move, Sally grabbed the Prince's arm and dragged him over to her wooden closet. She tugged it open and pushed him inside. _"Stay right here and don't make a sound!"_

Slamming it shut, she barely managed to hop into her bed and open the book before Igor bustled through the door.

"Hey, Sal, we gotcha some of those candies you really like," he announced happily, smiling at his little sister. "Dinner's ready, too."

"Oh, uh, that's wonderful! I—erm—I'm not that hungry right now so..." Sally trailed off, idly thinking that she would_ never_ leave a curious Jack all by himself in her bedroom. What if he did something stupid? He had never failed to do _that_ before. She glanced at the closet and frowned. Wait, what if he was hungry? As annoying as he was, she really couldn't starve him; he remained (in some twisted way) a _guest _to her home.

That wouldn't be at all fair!

"Actually, I changed my mind. I'm starving."

Throwing her picture book aside, she stood up and hurriedly left the room, Igor right at her heels.

She made sure the door slammed behind them before heading downstairs.

* * *

"Here you go, dig in!"

Jack squinted as light suddenly flooded his cramped hiding place. He blinked a few times before grinning at the young woman motioning to a tray of what appeared to be soup and molded bread. "May I come out now?"

For some odd reason, his voice was much more hushed than usual, and it completely threw Sally off-guard. "Uh—yes?"

"Cool." He slowly stepped out and stretched. "Ah, that feels great!" Again, he wasn't as loud.

"Are you okay, Jack? Why are you so quiet?"

"Huh?"

"You look like you didn't move at all in there. Didn't you even take a quick _peek_ while I was out?" Sally had an odd expression on her face.

"Hmm? Well, no, I didn't," Jack sighed, straightening up. "Do you really think I would do something to _purposely _get you in_ trouble_?" he cocked his head slightly, but with his signature smile.

Blinking once, Sally looked away, blushing furiously. She could feel her rapid heart beat, along with the weird sensation that had subconsciously begun to spread ever since she had first met the skeleton behind her. Cautiously, she placed a shaking hand on her chest.

What had happened? Up until now, that feeling was happily ignored; so much, in fact, that Sally had considered it to have vanished completely.

But no, if she was burning _hot_ and trying to ease her pounding heart just because Jack had done something _thoughtful_ and _mature _for her...and not to mention that smile...

Did she actually have hidden _feelings _for him? Despite all the reasons she shouldn't?

No...She wouldn't decide that yet. If she admitted to loving _Jack Skellington_, there would have to be a valid reason why.

Well, she could at least be grateful he didn't so much as _move_ from inside her wardrobe to keep her from further inconveniences. Yeah, that was okay. "Thanks, Jack. I guess you're not as much of a selfish idiot as I thought."

Jack figured that the comment was as good as he could hope for, so he laughed and pulled his friend into a spine-crushing hug. "Gee, that was the sweetest thank-you I've ever received!"

Unable to control herself, Sally hugged him back, placing her arms timidly around his very thin frame.

* * *

"You're sleeping over?" Sally whispered, poking at the peaceful teenager lying next to her on the bed. His eyes were closed, hands behind the back of his skull. He seemed perfectly content on just staying there for _eternity_.

"Yes," he finally sighed back, turning his head slightly to face her. "It's so late already...wouldn't it be much easier if I just spent the night?"

"Be that as it may, your father would probably get worried and look for you sooner or later. Then we'd both be in extra trouble."

"Actually, Sal, I told the old man I would be gone the whole night. He knows I meant until tomorrow morning; I've done this so many times with Oogie!"

"You've cuddled up with Oogie Boogie on his bed and refused to leave?"

"Heh. No. Aww, ya know what I mean, love." He placed an arm delicately around Sally's waist and pulled her closer, throwing her dark-green silk blanket around their intertwined bodies. "Mmm...doesn't this feel nice?"

"Hmph. Just don't get any ideas, got it?" Although the rag-doll had _not_ worn her usual night gown to bed and instead donned on a loose, hand-me-down pair of blue pajamas from her older brother, she still felt particularly self-conscious being so close to Jack. He had shamelessly thrown his shirt off and climbed into the bed wearing only his baggy pants merely a few moments ago. Even for just being a set of moving bones, she had to admit his torso looked pretty well built.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. No funny ideas." He chuckled to himself. It was silent after that, save the small sounds of fatigue Sally was making. The Pumpkin Prince could feel his girlfriend-to-be (he _hoped_) settle in his arms, clearly on the verge of falling into deep sleep.

"Would you like to go out with me yet?" he murmured quietly, not expecting her to respond or even_ hear_ his offer. However, he was amazed to find that her barely-conscious mind managed to get her to respond with an honesty she would normally have _never_ displayed when she was fully aware:

"I will when you promise to pay attention _only_ to me. No other girls..."

For the first time in his afterlife, Jack agreed to commitment without complaint. In fact, all he could do was grin. "I promise, Sally. I'll be yours only."

_There was only one Juliet for Romeo after all._

* * *

**A/N: Woo! Two updates! Muhahahah, Sally loves Jack? Heck yeah! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Oh No...**

Sally stirred in her sleep.

How _odd_. She could've sworn something brushed against her cheek just now. The dream last night...what was it about? She recalled feeling so..._secure_ inside, as though a warm blanket was thrown around her and kept all the heat from leaving. It was a feeling she particularly enjoyed, one that she would most gladly accept if she had a chance to. But, she couldn't remember what the heck that dream was about. Surely something that made her feel safe was worth remembering! Why, though?

Curiously, she attempted falling back into sleep, hoping she could pull out at least a little bit of that weird sensation. Try as she might, her brain refused to allow its owner as to so much as _close_ her eyes. Giving up, she decided to rise and do the morning chores.

"Mmm," she mumbled, turning around and finally opening her eyelids. She didn't know what she was expecting to see; blank walls, an empty room, and _definitely_ the other side of her_ bed_. But no, that wasn't what awaited her.

It took all of three seconds for Sally's mind to register that there was a _shirtless_ skeleton beside her, arms around her waist...wait, her _waist_? She could see the blue skin beneath the spindly fingers, reminding her that the large pajama top had indeed bunched up to her breast and was showing off her bra...

_**"AH!"**_ she shrieked, pushing herself away, resulting in her head banging against the stone wall. As she groaned and rubbed her cranium, Jack Skellington woke up, yawning. Upon seeing the dazed girl to his left, he gave a low chuckle.

"'Morning, beautiful. Sleep well?"

"Ugh...ow, ow..."

"Hurt yourself, sweetie-pie? Well, why don't you let your_ Bone Man_ give you a kiss?"

"Feeling extremely self-confident, aren't we, Skellington?"

"Hmph! Dearest, if we are to become lovers, we should definitely be on first-name basis!"

"_Lovers?_ Who said anything about that?" By now, their daily banters were beginning to amuse Sally greatly instead of annoying her as it had before. She had no idea when that changed, but sometimes, even Jack went too far.

"You did, my love. Last night." He grinned, tracing her lips with a finger. "Mmm...now where's that kiss...?"

"Wait, wait. What do you mean_ I_ did?" She sounded offended, pinching his hand. He withdrew, but did not seem to acknowledge the pain.

"Before I slept, _you_ said you'd date me if I only paid attention to _you_ and nobody else. I agree, so now we can be together!"

"I—what—do yo—?"

Suddenly, her wrists were pinned beside her as she fell to the bed, and the Pumpkin Prince was smiling evilly merely a few inches from her face. Despite his thin and weightless appearance, he actually was _very_ strong; Sally's attempts to push him off were useless.

"What? Don't you remember? You basically gave me _permission_ to court you! There is no way in_ hell_ I'd miss this good of an opportunity for you to be mine!"

"I said no such thing!" snapped Sally, accidentally kneeing him in the groin as she moved to sit up. He winced slightly, but otherwise kept his famous grin in place.

"You did."

"Did not!"

"Did _so_!"

"Did _NOT_!"

"Would I really _lie_ about this?"

The rag-doll opened her mouth to say,_ "Of course!"_ and somehow insult the boy for being so _demented_, but something in the back of her mind prevented her. It was like a nagging feeling, telling her off.

'He wouldn't lie. You just let your feelings get the best of you.'

_No, I didn't!_

'You did. Your mind knows you better than you!'

_No! There is no way I would let anything slip to Jack!_

'So you admit you have feelings to worry not slipping about!'

_No! I-I—damn it!_

'You like him. Maybe even love...okay, maybe _not_, but you do have an attraction for him!'

_Shut up!_

'Agree already.'

_But he's a moron!_

'So? Don't let that hardness Finkelstein made you with outwit what you really want. Why use your mind when your heart knows what's good for you?'

_Because my heart is stupid! My mind happens to know more! And why am I arguing with myself? It isn't healthy!_

"Sally?" At the sound of Jack's voice softly calling her name, she looked at him. As clichéd as it sounded, Sally seemed to be staring at him in a whole new light.

Oh..._no_...

_True...this doesn't explain why I think he's different._

"You okay?"

_Even after seeing him with all those girls...I can't help but smile when he's happy. It's as if he has this...warmth and kindness radiating from his pale, friendly face. I guess I just want some of that care-free feeling, too._

"Sally?"

_Who doesn't? Maybe...just maybe if I let him, he could make me forget all these expectations and hardships. Does anybody know how it feels to have the pressure of needing to maintain the highest grade and I.Q. score in the whole academy? Heck, the whole Halloween world! Finkelstein once told me he'd always wanted a genius for a child, and that Igor, being the first "born," was more of a trial-and-error experiment that turned out somewhat successful. I don't think so, but he told me I must be the top and only accept second best when tested on the exit exam to allow the Pumpkin Prince to get the highest percent. (It was, for him, a necessity to rule the kingdom.)_

_So, of course, the stress is great for me. How exactly am I supposed to be the smartest? What happens if I don't get to be number one? Will I get locked up once more?_

"Hey, are you awake there?"

"Yes." _He always makes me feel different, using just those few moments when we're together. I try to push that away, but...sometimes he causes me to forget who I really am. Or at least, who I have to be._

"So...?"

_He makes me smile...laugh...and everything seems all too irrelevant with him around because he forces you to focus on the fun at hand. In a way, I'm grateful._

_What happened to us?_

_Why am I realizing this just now?_

"J-Jack?"

"Yeah?"

_I love you. I know that now. This feeling is way too strong._

_Oh. My. God._

_I'm in love with Jack Skellington._

"Nothing...just—what exactly did I say last night?"

* * *

**A/N: Woah! Where did that come from? Realizing your love for him, eh, Sally? **

**I realize I have several grammatical and spelling errors, so I apologize for those...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: This Feeling is Gross**

* * *

It was inevitable, Sally concluded, that her behavior would change dramatically since she had finally realized her..._feelings_...for a certain skeleton. What used to be an immature, 'one-sided' love from a moron was now something she sincerely hoped would last forever. _Pathetic!_

At least she was good at hiding it. Jack had no idea she had fallen for him, as well.

Oh, _ew_...it sounded so...weird...

"What do you say, Sally?"

_'Great,'_ she thought to herself bitterly, _'now I like the sound of his voice! Stupid, stupid...'_

"What do I say about what?"

"Will you date me?"

_'Yes! YES! I WILL! I LOVE YOU, TOO!'_ her mind practically bellowed, disgusting its owner. She was so against having an attraction to Jack...

Well, at least he couldn't read minds...how awkward would that be?

But he looked so _adorable_ expectantly waiting for her answer! It reminded her of the cat she used to own and its face when it wanted her yarn.

Woah. Where did that come from?

Thankfully (or not), she was spared the trouble of answering when they heard footsteps from outside. Sally quickly recognized it as her father's (mainly because it was so soft and slow) and naturally, she panicked.

Without thinking, she grabbed Jack by his shoulders and forced him to lie, facing upwards, onto her bed. She scrambled on top of him, face down, and threw the covers about them so only the back of her head was visible. She mentally thanked whoever gave Jack such a thin body and small feet; she was sure nobody would suspect anything.

However, her relief was only short-lived—when she glanced below her, she was met by Jack's captivating stare, completely pausing her breathing altogether. He looked delighted at their current state, and she could tell he was keeping himself from pulling her closer. If his arms around her wouldn't have made it obvious under the blanket that he was there,_ she_ might actually have hugged_ him_ first.

As they heard her door creak open, Sally forced her eyes shut and attempted to even out her breathing. She remembered doing this frequently as she grew up (back in the day when her father refused to allow her to leave the house) so she could gaze at the beautiful full moon late at midnight, or feel the rain drops during calm storms on her arms. This had been a nightly ritual when Finkelstein checked up on her to make sure she was asleep.

At least something came out of_ that_.

"Hmm. Seems like she's sleeping..." the old man croaked from somewhere across the room. He sounded tired, tapping against the doorframe in thought. "Hmm..."

"Just let her rest, Dad," yawned another voice. Igor. Sally grit her teeth. Great. Just _peachy_. Her brother was the one most likely to _tickle_ her until she woke up—a sad fact she knew from previous experiences. Jack felt her tense above him, so he snuggled closer, burying his head in the crook of her neck. Unfortunately, all this resulted in was Sally biting her lip to avoid sighing, which made the sudden movement very obvious to the spectators in her room. _'Thanks, Jack.'_

"Hey, I don't wanna wake her up. Let's just let her sleep."

"I suppose. Do you think she was studying all night?"

"Dad, why do you always assume Sal's doing some sort of schoolwork?"

"Because I raised her to do just that! Unlike you..._spoiled_ by your mother."

"Oh, ha ha. Momma's boy, I get it. C'mon, let's leave her alone."

"Oh, alright, alright. You better know how to make breakfast."

"Please. We're eating _cereal_ today."

The voices faded away as the door closed with a soft click. Sally counted to ten before peering above her blanket. Satisfied at the empty room that greeted her, she sat up and stretched, letting a wary breath out. Thank God that was all over.

"Mmm. This feels _nice_..."

At the sound of Jack's voice, Sally, narrowing her eyes, looked down and almost fainted from embarrassment. There he was, all smiles and still _shirtless_, with her _straddling_ him.

If she could ask to die again, she'd gladly do so in a heartbeat.

Jack, seeing her horrified expression, raised his would-be eyebrows in confusion; why wasn't she pummeling him to re-death, calling him a sicko? She was just motionless on him...not that he was complaining.

"Oh, c'mon! Hit me already!" he teased, hoping to at least get _some_ reaction from the girl before him. He smiled kindly, startling her completely. Instead of coldly pushing him away while yelling for him to leave, Sally sheepishly clambered down his body (pointedly looking away from his bare torso..._oh, God_!) and stepped away from her bed. As she did, her face resembled a blank-faced robot, her movements with as much stiffness as one, too.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled vaguely, wringing her hands helplessly. "I forgot..."

"Psh, no worries, my love! It was a nice experience after all!" He winked at her suggestively, again trying to voice out a _"You pervert!"_ from her. It failed miserably as all it did was make her blush even more.

Wait...she was _blushing_? What the _hell_?

"Uhm...a-are you going home soon...?" She sounded nervous and, if he dared believe it, upset. It was the exact tone girls used on him when their dates ended, when they _didn't_ want him to leave.

So she actually _liked_ his company?

_Amazing._

"Well, I was hoping I could stay here for the weekend. What is it? Sunday?"

"Another sleepover?"

"Yeah. But...I'll just head home, take a bath, get dressed, maybe bring my school things. It would seem off if someone saw me leaving this place with the same clothes for two days, y'know? We could take a stroll when I get back if that's okay."

"Oh. Yes. That's fine...uh, I guess..."

"_Seriously_? For real?"

"Well, why not?"

"Damn..." Jack gave a low, disbelieving whistle; did he_ finally_ break through to her? Was she starting to go _soft_ on him?

"Unless you were kidding," Sally backpedaled immediately, cursing herself for sounding so eager. Why was she being so vulnerable? Why? "I mean—I don't—it doesn't matter if you can't, or anything..."

"Huh? No! No,_ no_! Hell no! I'm staying over!" He held his bony hands up defensively, shaking his head several times. He also noted how..._pleased_ Sally looked at this. Could it be...?

"Don't get worked up about it," she chirped brightly then, clasping her fingers together, "you're more than welcome to stay."

"Someone looks happy."

"I'm just glad you're acting _normal_ for once."

"Is that really it?"

"Of course! What else could it possibly be?"

"You tell me, my love."

"Are you getting your stuff or not?"

"Ahahaha. Fine, I'm off! The sooner I'm gone, the sooner I'll be back! I couldn't possibly bear to be away from you for too long! Au revoir, mon cherie!"

"Adieu, stupide."

_"Mon amour."_

_"Go away."_

Jack laughed at this as he fit his head through his shirt. Grinning, he grabbed her hand and led her to the large window in her room. He opened it, but just wide enough to fit his form; the last thing he wanted was for his beautiful love to fall down if she tried to close it.

"I'll be back soon. Wait for me, Sally."

"Fine, fine. I guess I shouldn't try to escape, huh?"

"I'll find you even if you do."

"Good to know, Mr. Stalker. Now, off you go!"

Swiftly, he moved forward to peck her on the cheek lightly, feeling his lips tingle as he did. Jack didn't question the weird sensations (nor was he clueless about them) anymore; he knew very well already that he was _madly_ and _irresistibly_ in _love_ with Sally Finklestein. No questions _needed_.

"Farewell, then."

With that, he jumped off, the breeze caressing his features. Sally watched him practically skip to his manor, but not before turning around to wave and blow kisses at her.

A hand on the spot where his lips touched her moments before, she raised a hand and slowly waved back.

_"Goodbye, my love."_

* * *

**A/N: Sally's in LOVE! Sally's in L-O-O-O-V-E! **

**Hahahahaha. I always pictured her family having to rely on her for the cooking and whatnot. How typical...**

**JackXSally forevah!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: More About Jack?**

* * *

After a quick shower and toothbrush session, Sally stood facing her closet, indecisive. For the first time since meeting him, she actually _wanted_ to impress Jack with a really cute outfit. She owned several dresses and skirts, yet most of them were a little too tight and short due to her not buying (or making) any new ones. With a uniform, she really didn't think too much on her wardrobe outside of school.

_Smart._

Time was_ limited_, as well. Jack had been gone at least thirty minutes, and he did mention not wanting to be absent for too long. If she didn't hurry, he might climb up the window while she was _changing._

Loving him or not, she still found that idea _very_ unappealing.

"I really should get new stuff," she mumbled to herself as her hands found a nice, pale-yellow, sundress that reached just above her knees, a spider web pattern running along the edges. For being with a particularly hormonal boy alone, spaghetti straps and a lot of neckline showing might not be a good idea. _Oh well._

Sighing tiredly, Sally drew the curtains shut and began to change.

* * *

"Alright, old man, I'm leaving!"

"_Old_? I'm barely thirty-five. Do you know how_ young_ that is in the Underworld?" The older skeleton watched his son tiredly as he poured the two of them coffee. He motioned for the youth to join him.

"Why are you so young then?" Jack questioned, unmoving from his place near the door.

"You were born when I barely finished high school! Normally, Pumpkin Kings have sons at around a thousand years of age..."

"Got a girl _pregnant_, Dad?"

"I _married_ her a year before, boy." He rolled his eye-sockets and proceeded to heat up molded bread, frowning when their old toaster refused to work.

"You married Mother in_ high school_?" Jack, though eager to meet with a certain rag-doll, couldn't help but question his father; after all, the mention of his mom had been unofficially banned from the household after he had first begun to voice his wonder about her. If the older Skellington was willing to share a few details about her, he'd gladly listen.

"Of course. That explains why you're here a few centuries early. Has nobody told you?"

"No. Everyone tells me to keep quiet about this...matter."

"Well, at least I know some people _do_ respect me," sighed the king longingly. He rubbed the back of his skull as he recounted the events leading to his only son's birth. "I'm guessing you want to know now?"

"Please, Dad."

"Alright. Well, might as well sit down. I have a lot to say.

"I guess we could start with how your mother and I met. It wasn't a _spectacular_ meeting, just so you know. I didn't save her from some evil force from a tower, risking my life or things of that sort. And arranged marriages were very outdated and not to mention illegal, so we definitely had a choice. No, if anything, son, our 'first encounter' was as boring as you see me now—we met at school."

At this Jack only smiled. He and only laid his eye-sockets on his future wife (cough, _Sally_, cough) at that same place. Needless to say, he could relate.

"Anyway, I happened to be a year her senior. We never had any classes together, so naturally, we only got to know each other at the beginning of my last school year. From what I can recall, it was a particularly hot day at the Academy, and I was outside for Tactical Scaring. My teacher was just about to let me inside (the heat was too much that it became a health hazard) but word that a girl fell unconscious soon got to my class and, well, I was told to report on it. I walked over to her group, and...the teacher literally_ handed_ her to me. I carried her to the Nurse's station, and we talked the whole time (she woke up by then). I knew at once she was someone I wanted to know better. Afterwards, I visited her in the clinic with flowers and asked her to dinner when she felt better."

"And she _did_?"

"Hey, I wasn't a lame _'dad'_ back then. Girls found me interesting."

"Times change. You wouldn't get a girlfriend if you tried_ now_."

"I don't need one. Your mother is the only woman I'll ever love."

"Didn't think you were sensitive like that, Daddy," Jack replied with mock seriousness.

"Oh, _hush_."

"So she married you that year, too? You said you guys got married a year before you had me."

"So you do listen," Jack's father remarked amusedly, stirring the contents of his mug. "Yes, I proposed to her on Halloween evening before I left for the Mortal World—there was no set legal age—and obviously, she agreed."

"_Then_...?" Jack knew he was pushing his luck, but he couldn't help himself; this was the only way he could ever find out how his mother had died.

The old skeleton stared at his son with an unreadable expression. He wasn't upset, though. No, what he felt was more in the lines of shame and pity—he had kept his own child's mother a secret from him for seventeen years, and only now would he know.

It was _pathetic_, if anything. The king—_afraid_ of retelling his wife's tragic tale?

_Poor Jack_. The boy had been curious after all.

"She died giving birth to you."

* * *

"Father...what do you know about Jack Skellington?"

When she heard a loud crash followed by swear words exclusively for her father to know, Sally knew almost instinctively that she had made a poor choice in timing.

_"What?"_

"Uhm," she looked timidly at the beaker in her hand before glancing at the bald man dripping with chemicals in front of her. "Jack Skellington...?"

"What about that wretched boy?" Finklestein snapped, snatching the dishrag Igor handed him. "Is he causing trouble for you?"

"_No!_ No, it's not that..." She looked away now, sheepish. "Please forget what I said."

"It's natural to be curious, child. I pride myself in making you thirstier for the pursuit of knowledge than any being ever to set foot in the Halloween Kingdom. What bothers you?"

"I was just wondering who exactly will be taking over the thrown," replied Sally slowly, immediately taking advantage of the excuse her father basically _handed_ to her. "I mean, I don't really know who Jack Skellington _is_, per se."

"Have you been up-to-date with your studies? You should know."

"But, Father, sir, books and newspaper articles are only reliable to an extent; who's to say the author did not overlook an important detail, or perhaps misunderstood the data given? You said so yourself that using only printed information could prove to be inconsistent if questioned with a much clearer source. But if you told me, I can assume everything I hear is correct since you personally know who it is I am asking about." Sally took a deep breath and prepared herself for a scolding; even she knew that her argument was weak in points and supporting ideas.

Oddly enough, Finkelstein didn't seem to mind. In fact, he nodded approvingly. "I see..."

"You _do_?"

"Why? Were you joking?"

"Oh! No, I meant it all."

"Very well. What do you wish to know exactly?"

"Whatever you can comfortably tell me."

"I can't say that name without feeling the least bit _annoyed_, but alas.

"Hmm. Jack Skellington. Probably my least favorite student. You are aware what I warned you before about him, correct? That he is only interested in teasing girls and corrupting their education by proving to be a distraction in class?"

"Yes," squeaked Sally, suddenly fearful of what she was about to hear.

"I doubt that he's going to change in time for his coronation, so I can only hope Darkshade keeps the throne."

"Darskshade? The Pumpkin King?"

"Yes. Who else? Oh, don't give me that look! He and I have been friends far too long for me to start calling him _'His Majesty'_ or _'King Skellington.'_" The old man chuckled at his daughter's surprised facial expression. "What? You don't think I can be friends with the town's most famous ruler? I even know he despises his name...(his mother was…an _eccentric_ one)."

"You don't exactly act like you're friends with him, sir."

"You simply aren't there when we see each other," Finklestein said dismissively, "but I've known him since my years at the Academy."

"Ah."

"Moving on—Darkshade's only son is nothing like him. First off, that boy has no shame whatsoever. Day after day I see him flaunting about school grounds, acting like everything is his. Not to mention all the girls that trail after him and his friends. Oogie Boogie is another boy you better avoid, child. Those two will turn your life into a living _hell_ if you let them.

Again, it makes me wonder how his father just allows him to act like he does. Shade (he vastly prefers that nickname) was the top student before—perfect grades, polite attitude, and all the makings of a true prince." Suddenly, Sally's father scowled and turned back to his experiments. However, he continued to talk over his shoulder. "If Jack was half the student his father was, I doubt I would disapprove of him as much as I do know."

"But...isn't that a little harsh? To loath your friend's son?"

"He knows I dislike the boy. It doesn't bother him, really."

"Why?"

"Why _not_?"

"Why...oh, never mind." The young rag-doll looked at the grandfather clock beyond the open doorway and gave a small squeal; had that much time past already? Jack could be there any minute! "I apologize for disturbing you, Father. I will be going now." Bowing her head slightly, Sally exited the room and hurried off to hers.

Well, _that_ went smoothly.

She hoped the rest of the day would turn out for the best.

* * *

**A/N: An update? Oops...**

**Heheheh, I finally decided that I wanted to give Jack's father a name that was...weird. It'll help in the plot, soon, though.**

**I'm hoping next chapter I can add some fluff while learning about Sally's mother. If all goes according to plan, that is.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading so far! I hope to make this more interesting! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: I Love You...Really.**

* * *

"Hey there, beautiful."

_"Eek!"_ a startled Sally squeaked, dropping her book as she jumped. Just when she had decided that Jack might have just been kidding about returning for another sleepover (she felt stupid about getting her hopes up), the moron went ahead and showed up, creeping her out with his scary hiss in the process.

"Miss me?" He opened the window slightly and slipped inside with such gracefulness that it made her wonder if he constantly snuck into girls' rooms. The thought bothered her, and the idea of being jealous about Jack was annoying the rag-doll to no end.

"Not really," she muttered coolly, sitting back down on the bed. She discreetly checked at the lock on her door to make sure nobody would be entering unexpectedly. That was the last thing that needed to happen, anyway...

"Aww, what a meanie!" he laughed, placing his coal-colored duffel bag on the floor by her desk. "My heart was aching at the thought of being away from you, too."

"My mind_ is_ aching at the thought of being_ with_ you." Hey, at least _Jack-Insults_ still came naturally to her. She would die if her attraction for him stopped her from being "mean;" how obvious would she be then?

"Ouch. Your words are like jagged shards of ice piercing through my very being. Yet even so, I am willing to bleed to death from the stinging wounds as long as you continue to hold my heart." Jack shut his eyes in emphasis, placing a bony hand over his forehead with his palm facing upwards. In all honesty, Sally actually considered his latest outbursts to be sweet and thoughtful. In fact, she almost sighed in fondness. But would she? _Heck no._

"Reading too many romance novels, Skellington?"

"I'd write you one about our forbidden love if you desired it."

"No, thanks. I know it'd just sound terrible." Oh, _no way_. Was she really feeling_ bad_ about saying that? Her heart and insides seemed to twist at the brief look of disappointment on his face. The next thing she knew, words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

**_Stupid-stupid-stupid!_**

"Huh?" Jack's eyes widened slightly and he stared at her. In an even more confused voice he asked, "Did you just apologize to me?"

"Sh-shut up!" stuttered Sally, blushing self-consciously. "Don't remind me..."

"Well, that's weird," the skeleton continued, crossing his arms and nodding thoughtfully. "Have you fallen for me, then?"

She didn't respond—just tossed her book at him instead. It the side of his face, but it was clear he was paying no mind. Fuming, she threw herself backwards onto the mattress and stretched, tiredly glancing sideways at him as she did.

Jack kept still, blankly eyeing her sewing machine that was beside him on the table. His skeletal lips were pressed together in a thin line, eyes narrowed slightly, as if he were deep in thought. His arms were still crossed, and he appeared to be leaning on his left leg while the other tapped the floor every now and then. Sally found his whole aura just plain _weird_, but it was perhaps his unusual silence that provoked her into speaking first.

"You okay?"

He blinked. When he turned his face towards her, it was almost as if he has just seen her now. "Hello, my love!" he happily exclaimed, a smile (forced, Sally noted) on his face. If he was hoping she'd ignore his odd behavior moments before, he didn't show it. Then again, she was sure he might appreciate her showing concern over him.

Even if that_ wasn't_ the case, Sally couldn't help_ but_ worry. "Cut that out. What's wrong?"

Jack cracked a grin when she patted the spot next to her on the bed. Before she could sit up, he quickly slipped in next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She didn't resist. "Nothing."

"It can't be nothing. Tell me now, you moron!" Her voice was teasing, but he knew he couldn't lie to her. He'd never consider doing so. You don't lie to your Juliet, right?

"I—well, I just found out my mother died because of me, and..." Despite his attempt to sound casual and cheerful, Sally could hear the resent in his voice.

Jack was too carefree to feel resentment. His laid-back attitude was partially the reason why she was so fond of him in the first place! If he expressed any emotion other than the bright and warm ones he normally had...

It bothered her.

"What do you mean?"

"She died...giving birth to me..."

"O-oh..."

"Yeah..."

"I—I'm sorry. I wasn't aware you didn't have a mother..." What else did one say in situations like these?

"Don't worry about it," Jack answered off-handedly, nuzzling his head against Sally's. It was a mystery to her why he couldn't hear the deafening thumps her heart was making, or the fact that her face radiated enough heat to warm up the whole town. If she fainted, it wouldn't be a surprise.

But she _did_ feel obligated to cheer Jack up.

If_ he_ was willing to share such personal information with her—someone who he barely met a few days ago—then she should at least return the favor. She briefly wondered why her father had not mentioned the Pumpkin King's (deceased) wife during their last conversation, but then again, it wasn't really his secret to tell.

Seeing Jack in such a dejected mood, even a little bit, hurt Sally in a way she could possibly never explain. All she wanted right now was to make him smile and laugh like the annoying, flirtatious, moronic idiot that Jack Skellington was—the idiot she fell in love with.

Hackneyed, but oh, so _true_.

"My mother is as good as dead," whispered Sally softly, pressing her cheek against his. She could hear him swallow at the display of affection, yet he did not say anything. Deciding to talk and give him a moment to find his voice, she continued, "I mean, at least to me. I haven't seen her since I was a baby, and you can only imagine how much a one-week-old can remember. If I'm correct, my 'mom' left to go work overseas and up until now, she refuses to miss a day of teaching to see us. Family isn't even in her top hundred priority list. I could be dead for all she cared." She paused for a moment, letting Jack soak in the information. It wasn't as though she felt anything about the matter; no, Mrs. Finkelstein had been away far too long to even be missed by her own children. There weren't expectations to disappoint. It didn't sadden Sally that she had no mother—she barely thought of the lady at all. "Mommy" was just another stranger. "Is it bad that I don't care about my mother? That I'm really happy without her?"

She didn't really expect an answer; it was almost a rhetorical question anyway.

"No," replied Jack suddenly, embracing her tightly. "I can't say it's bad...because I don't really miss my mom, either. I just hate myself for screwing up her and Dad's lives..."

"Hey." Sally nudged him playfully, rolling her eyes. "You didn't screw up your parents' lives. If anything, you made it better."

Jack gave a somewhat bitter laugh. "Really? 'Cause, Sally, as far I know, killing your mother _doesn't_ make anything better..."

"Why do you think _you_ killed her? There's no stopping those kinds of pregnancies! If anything, you were a victim, too. That loss still affects you."

"...I love you, okay?"

Time stopped. The Underworld paused completely. Sounds were muted. Everything besides the two teenagers lying on the bed next to each other, sharing their warmth, blurred into shapeless nothings.

It was just them.

"I know I tell you that everyday, and I know you think I'm just kidding, or that I don't mean it...But please, I've never been this _serious_ in my life. Think about it: I've never met my mother and I can't say I really miss her, but I feel so terrible that she's gone and that I've caused it. And with you...if you died, or at least went away from my life, I really wouldn't be able to take it. I'd care about your absence so much more than the woman who bore me. I don't want you to leave without really knowing how I feel, because who knows when that'll happen? You and I could be separated at any time...I mean it when I say that I love you, because I _do_. I've been with so many women before, it isn't even funny. I'd constantly date and flirt, but there wouldn't be a connection at all with any of them. I know the types of delusions that could seem like love but isn't—I know_ lust_. Years and years of this, and I've never had such passionate, such strong, such sure of a feeling as I have for you_ now_. I would know what love is, Sally, trust me. And_ I love you_. We're simply meant to be."

If there was something Sally Finkelstein could be proud of regarding herself, it would probably be the ability of always having an intellectual thought on her mind. Her father had insisted, throughout the years that he raised her, that she should not waste any of her time on pointless imaginings or daydreams. There was never a spare moment to just think randomly.

In the bathroom, showering? She was trying recite pi for as long as she could without slowing down her bathing.

Eating? She was mentally saying the alphabet in all ancient languages.

Just sitting, or relaxing? She was listing off Greek characters from Homer's stories, the gods and whatnot included.

You name it.

But having the guy she cared about confess his undying love to her? Yeah, that drew up a blank.

She stared at him, comprehending absolutely nothing. Unable to say something in fear of looking foolish, she simply watched his hopeful, friendly face. He took her hands and planted chaste kisses on both of them.

"Will you give me a chance?" he murmured, sitting up and stroking circles on her palm, "I promise to only worship _you_. You'll never see me think about another girl again..."

He was gazing lovingly at her (she continued to remain lying down) and she knew at once that he just wasn't saying these to make her date him; he looked absolutely sincere and honest, with no traces of hesitation or doubt on his face.

She believed him.

Sally rose to a sitting position, never breaking their gazes. _I love you,_ _too,_ she wanted to let him know, _and I say 'yes' to your offer._

Though her voice refused to let her admit that, Jack seemed to understand quickly, as if he read her mind. His face lit up instantly, a smile slowly creeping across.

_His smile._

The one she wanted to see.

She could've said something, but deciding actions spoke louder than words, she nodded in confirmation and kissed him on his cheek...

...the same side she slapped him on days prior.

* * *

Darkshade Skellington warily strolled towards Town Hall. Despite it being a Sunday, work as the Pumpkin King knew no limits; while everyone else was taking a relaxing day off of preparing for Halloween and spending time with their families, he was going to be stuck inside a public building looking over plans all day.

It didn't help, either, that he had just revealed a dark secret to his son that he had once promised himself he would never.

_"Why would I burden a child with that kind of knowledge? Just so he might think he caused his mother's death?"_

How long ago had he said that? And why hadn't he followed through with it?

"I am _such_ a terrible parent," he muttered to himself with his eye-sockets shut, aware of the emptiness of the street and the unlikely chance of accidentally bumping into someone.

Then again, until _he_ decided to join him.

"You finally realized what a horrible father you are?" called an all-too familiar voice jokingly from the large fountain ahead. The king did not have to look up to realize his best friend was nearing him.

"I'm not completely lousy. He hasn't been arrested, has he?"

"Detention," scoffed the professor with a roll of his eyes, pocketing his hands. "How are you, _Darkshade_?" he emphasized the name teasingly.

"I thought everyone forgot that," replied the skeleton with a slight scowl, "I don't understand what my mother was thinking about when she named me."

"She was eccentric and childish, if I remember."

"That hardly covers it."

"Makes you wonder why you turned out so_ dull_."

"Makes you wonder why we turned out_ friends_."

Doctor Finkelstein laughed. "Doesn't it? I will admit, this is the first time we've talked like this in a while. Really, how have you been?"

"I think I'm a failure at parenting, as you heard me say before," sighed Shade as he shook his head, "I just told Jack his mother died in childbirth."

The doctor drew a sharp breath. "Ah."

"Indeed."

"Did he take it well?"

"I can't say for certain. After I told him, he was quiet and deep in thought. However, he did smile and thank me for letting him know, before running off to meet a friend."

"He left to _see_ someone? How could anyone _possibly_ have the energy to entertain after hearing such thing?"

"He's my son." King Skellington looked away into the distance, sad eyes giving away his lonliness. "My boy, yet sometimes I wonder where he gets all his attributes. I don't particularly have most of them."

"Like trying to woo every female in his school?" muttered an annoyed Finklestein suddenly, crossing his arms in distaste. "You most definitely don't do _that_."

"He woos girls? Really?"

"You have _no_ idea? Don't you get letters from the school?"

"No, just about his academics," Shade swallowed apprehensively._ 'What has he done now?_' "Why?"

The other ghoul smiled cruelly. "Oh, boy. Not delivering behavioral reports to the guardian? This means _suspension_!"

_"F-Fink!"_

"What? I can do that, you know."

"Aren't I in charge of the school? The King is, right?"

"And you won't suspend you own son," tutted Finklestein bitterly. He stopped in his tracks and the other did, too. Then, all too seriously, he looked his friend in the eye. "I want to warn you about something, though."

When he received a small nod in confirmation (though he really was going to continue even without one), the scientist began, "Keep your son away from my daughter. You remember Sally? She was the special case we had."

"The girl you refused to enroll in the academy until now," Darkshade recalled carefully. He raised a would-be eyebrow. "Wait...what do you mean? Keep Jack away from her...?"

"Yes. The last thing I want to happen is for _your_ child to delude _my_ little genius with improper thoughts." The scientist clicked his tongue and glared at his friend. "I will never allow Sally be..._pursued_...by that filthy little monstrosity."

"That's a little harsh, Fink, just a little..."

"Are we clear on that, then? You will remind Jack to stay away from my daughter?"

The king tiredly looked at his friend's defiant eyes, which held nothing but contempt for his son.

_Oh, well..._

"Jack's a good boy...but if you insist, then yes, I will remind him to avoid Sally...though I don't particularly understand why..."

"Read those letters and you will."

* * *

**A/N: Update! Wooo! I'm actually glad about this chapter 'cause it's the longest one, I think...**

**Anyway, I sincerely apologize for ignoring my account for the last month or so. I had things going on...and...yes.**

**The other stories that I have left un-updated will hopefully be in progress soon. I'm really sorry about that. **

**Thanks for your patience! I hope to continue this story for several more chapters! **

**Oh, and thank you, reviewers! It's great to hear some feedback to know how this fic is going along! **

**JackXSally FOREVER! Yeah? Who agrees? !**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: What's This? Oh, Pervert...Huh?**

* * *

The rest of the afternoon went without many events; Sally and Jack decided to follow through with the idea of a nice picnic on Spiral Hill in the graveyard, and they did nothing but talk about each other and themselves during that time, discovering new things. They did not need to point out the new spark between them, or the fact that they had jumped up several levels on their relationship.

To Sally's surprise (and relief) Jack had done no more than hold her hand and kiss her cheek; it seemed he had felt her insecurity about having a boyfriend (her first, he had learned) and so he promised himself not to push things more than it already had been.

That evening, the rag-doll brought her meal once more to her room, claiming to her family that she felt she could do more work if she didn't have to repeatedly keep moving around the household. Her father, assuming as per usual that it was to strengthen her _already-excellent_ studies, had whole-heartedly excused her from the table. Upstairs in her room, she and the skeleton had dined on baked-brains with rotten apple cores.

They snuggled as they slept._ Just_ slept.

The next day, which was the beginning of the school week, the couple rose a few hours earlier than they normally would. Feeling completely refreshed and giddy, Sally kissed the prince on the forehead before skipping downstairs to make breakfast. Jack was all smiles as well, and he quickly showered and dressed in his school uniform before patiently examining his new girlfriend's room.

_Girlfriend..._

He grinned at the thought, heat rising to his cheeks as he remembered the way she had readily accepted his _probably-pathetic_ declaration of love for her. Looking back, he realized what an_ idiot_ he must have sounded like, shoving his feelings at her without thinking about what she might've wanted. He was so inexperienced with this kind of love that he had _no_ control over his impulses. Hopefully, Sally _did_ consider him as her boyfriend; no guy would go through all he had just to get her to _date_ him. Jack would _never_—not in his eternal lifetime—beg for a woman to simply _agree_ to dinner unless he knew that she was the one. His Sally _was_ the one, and he was fully aware of it, so he hadn't minded pleading with her to give him a chance. That was fine.

"What's this?" he sang brightly as he happily danced around the room, imagining his beautiful love in his arms, "What's this? What's this? I must be dreaming, wake up, Jack, this isn't fair! What's this?"

He had no idea what he was singing to, but really, did it matter when one was in love?

Unfortunately, when the beloved's father had heard one's unbridled bliss, then _yes_, it did matter.

The door was locked, and so it had provided Jack a warning that someone was about to enter the room—someone definitely _not_ Sally.

_"AHA!"_ yelled Doctor Finkelstein as he thrust the metallic door open, eyes bugging out. "I have you—"

He paused. The room was empty, save for all his daughter's belongings. Blinking, he glanced around for a better look, baffled at the fact that everything seemed to be in order. Behind him came hurried footsteps and soon his rag-doll child faced him with a look of pure horror.

_"Dad!"_ she gasped breathlessly, eyes darting back and fort between him and her apparently skeleton-free room. "What are you doing?"

"I thought I heard someone," he muttered irately, rubbing his eyes. "Sounded like a boy..."

"Oh, Father," sighed Sally, relieved, running a hand through her hair distractedly. "I'm sure you just weren't fully awake yet. Why are you up so early?"

"I could ask you the same...but it seems you're making breakfast, and therefore I _won't_ complain." The scientist stretched, turning his back against his daughter and her room. "I'll be up later, then."

When he was safely out of earshot, and Sally had heard his bedroom door open and close, she warily slipped into her own sleeping quarters and secured the lock. "Jack?"

"In here!" came a muffled reply somewhere to her right. Somewhat curious, she followed his voice and the faint thumps accompanied by it, only to find him covered in clothes inside her closet. Laughing lightly, she helped him up, untangling him from various dress and shirts that were haphazardly hanging from his very thin form. There were a few _ripping_ noises, but she tried her best not to seem too disappointed about it.

Jack, however, was quick to realize his carelessness. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so loud and—"

"It's _fine_, Jack. I'm just glad we didn't get caught..."

"Wait, no. Not done. It was wrong of me to make a mess in your closet, and definitely even_ worse_ to destroy your clothes. Can I make it up to you?"

"Don't worry about it," Sally assured good-naturedly, flashing him her sweetest smile. "But thanks."

"No. I'll take you out shopping later, okay?"

"Jack—"

"I'm_ serious_. What kind of a gentleman would I be if I didn't replace whatever it is I damaged? Besides, won't it be nice to go on our first real date?"

Sally blinked once before her face flushed completely. A date? A _real_ date? Her and Jack?_ Really?_ "Uhm. Uhm...d-didn't we have a date already? Spiral Hill?"

Jack grinned. "Why, I do believe we did. However, there was no spending involved, and I didn't get to spoil you with gifts. If anything, you spoiled me with your _dreadful_ cooking!"

The rag-doll smiled bashfully. "It—it wasn't that good, though..."

"Are you kidding me? _I loved it_! It was the best thing I've ever eaten!"

"I doubt that..."

"Don't then. By the way, did I tell you that that's what I'm looking for in a _wife_?"

"That _unfortunate_ lady..."

"Hey, she could be _you_ soon!"

Though Sally shrugged the comment off for the moment, she would only later realize how precise Jack could really be.

* * *

Jack Skellington had never particularly hated school. There, he could flirt with girls, bug Finkelstein, flirt with girls, pull pranks with his friends without ever being caught...oh, and flirt with girls. _Very important._

Then Sally came along...and quite frankly, his education had just gotten _better_. Probably not the way his father hoped...but still...

Contrary to popular belief, he _didn't_ actually have hundreds of girlfriends and lovers as most would assume. First off, he _hated_ commitment. Plain and simple. He always cringed whenever girls referred to him as a _loving boyfriend_, or when they looked at him accusingly as he wooed other females. It was annoying. At least with casual dating, he could flirt and be with whoever he wanted to without the worry of someone throwing a fit when they saw him.

Undersea Gal was the only girl who openly kissed him, but they were only friends. They tried moving on to the next level, but both could not handle committing.

So no, in his after-lifetime, he had only three real girlfriends, none of which he particularly liked. His last was a pretty demon-girl who simply _refused_ to leave his side. She was tolerable enough, until the rumors of their 'elopement' spread and she whole-heartedly encouraged it. He openly broke up with her _during their Historical Halloween presentation in class,_ and well...they never _did_ get to finish it. The teacher gave him a bad grade, too.

But Sally...

He didn't mind. Not at all. Though, it did come as a surprise on how much he could enjoy the company of a girlfriend. If he was asked a few years ago about being in a serious relationship, he'd have laughed and said the notion was completely preposterous. The rag-doll would never understand just how much of the Pumpkin Prince she had _changed_.

Presently, the couple walked down the empty street close to each other, after somehow managing to escape her home without any detection whatsoever. Jack carried his school bag on one hand and a duffel bag with his clothes on the other. He glanced at the clock atop a building they passed and said, "You don't mind passing by my place first, do you? I think we'll have enough time."

Sally, who had been deeply in thought about whether or not she was going to be nicer to Jack in school, jumped slightly at being addressed. "Oh—oh, that's fine. Yes, we can do that..."

"It'll be quick. Promise."

"No need to promise anything. It's not like I don't wanna go..."

"My love really is the best!"

"Oh, hush, you."

They jokingly bantered the rest of the way, and Sally was honestly glad that she and the skeleton were finally back to normal (or as normal as they could get). When they reached the Skellington Manor's gate, she stopped short and stared. _Wow._ That was probably the largest building she has ever seen. Sure, she read books and saw pictures of large, baroque-style castles, but has she actually ever stood in front of one? Nope.

She stood in front of this, though.

"Wanna come in? We have almost two hours before we actually need to get to class," Jack inquired, opening the gate and holding it out for her. His smile was reassuring, but her eyes would not tear themselves away from the large mansion in front of her. It was amazing; dark stone walls that covered the outside, a large front yard, complete with a fountain that oozed green water...it had to be at least four floors! There was no doubt in her mind that it was much nicer than the drabness of her home.

Normally, she wasn't one to be so awestruck by something as simple as a nice building; however, being confined to a single tower (and sometimes one _room_) for several years really didn't leave her with many opportunities to explore and see the many constructions on Halloween Town. Heck, she _gaped_ at the school when she first saw it—it was probably the largest building in _Halloween World_!

"What's wrong, Sal? Oh. Yeah, I know, the place's a mess. But don't you worry! It's much nicer inside...except my room. Trust me, you do _not_ want to go there." Jack shuddered in emphasis.

Sally shook her head. "No, it's not that...the opposite, if anything. Your home is absolutely _gorgeous_."

He simply rolled his eye-sockets. "I'd rather you say _I'm_ gorgeous. Nah, this place doesn't really have much after you've been in it for too long. Maybe you should sleep over," he added brightly, ushering her forward. At the doorstep, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. After the door had been opened, Jack peered inside before stepping in.

"The Skellington household," he drawled in a mock-English accent, bowing to Sally. "Please enjoy your stay and allow us to accommodate anything you so desire."

Laughing, the rag-doll pushed him slightly. "Silly." Nonetheless, she was nervous; she had _never_ been into another's home before, and so she had no idea how exactly to act as a houseguest. For now, she was relying on the manners her father made her perfect.

"You coming?"

"Huh?"

"My room? I doubt you'd wanna stand there and wait for my father to wake up..."

"Oh! Yes...yeah, uhm, of course..."

"I have a puppy," Jack added conversationally as the two began to climb the grand staircase, taking the one on the left side, "his name's Zero. I bet he'll love you."

"Aww, a puppy! That sounds cute." Sally felt her cheeks grow warm when suddenly her right hand was enclosed in Jack's skeletal one.

He, however, paid no mind to her flushing state. "He is. A little goofy, but you gotta love him. Have any pets?"

"Me? Well, there was a sweet stray cat once. He had a most beautiful coat of black fur..."

"_Was_...?"

"I'm not so sure what happened. One day he just wasn't there..."

_"Ah."_

"I _didn't_ forget to feed it."

"I'm not saying you did."

"You're smile gave you away."

"I wasn't smiling."

"Yes, you were, and you were giving me a look, too."

"No I wasn't."

"You lie."

"I don't."

"Still are."

"Not even."

"_Yes_ even."

"Blah."

"Hah."

"...hi."

And they burst out laughing. There was no reason at all, really, and it wasn't as if their little tossing of words around was particularly comical, but they couldn't help it.

_They were too comfortable around each other._

Chortling, they manage to stumble into Jack's bedroom (second door of the third-floor west wing) and as the skeleton prince politely held the door open for her, she couldn't help but gasp.

Intricate and charming, the room simply _screamed_ his personality. The walls were a dark gray, black lines running throughout as though it were cracked. A humble yet eye-catching chandelier hung from the coal-black ceiling, creating an illusion of a piece of bloody crystal falling endlessly into abyssal darkness itself. Under them, the floor was soft with carpet-like materials, and a light shade of slate. There were two visible doors, one on each side of the room.

It surprised Sally how serious everything was furnished. A large bed stood proudly in the dead center of the room (fit for five) with bedposts that resembled the graveyard fences. On both sides of it were matching nightstands that held a Victorian lamp each.

But what really drew her attention was the large bookshelf that covered almost the _whole left wall_. Books and books were neatly arranged on every single shelf-no one spot empty. There had to be _at least_ a three hundred.

In contrast, a simple black study desk was meekly placed on the wall perpendicular to the shelf with a worn-out leather chair to match. It clearly stood out the most, but not enough to tarnish the sight of the whole room.

Suddenly, she felt very self-conscious that she had made him stay in her bland old room. "This is amazing, Jack."

"Huh?" When he noticed her awestruck gaze as she examined the room, he crossed his arms. "_Sure._ You say that about the room and all you call me is_ stupid_."

"No, I say you're a moron-idiot-sicko, don't I?"

"Oh, that makes me feel _so_ much better..."

"What do you want me to say? That you're amazing, too?" Sally's mouth curved upwards.

"Hmm. You know, there'll be _something else_ you'll call_ amazing_ soon. If you get my drift."

_"...PER-VERT!"_

"Hey now—!"

"Moron-idiot-sicko!"

"You're only saying that 'cause _you_ thought it, too!"

"..."

"Wanna try out the bed, then?"

"...if that's where you want to _die_..."

"That good, eh? I didn't know you were like that, Sal-Sal."

**_SMACK!_**

_"OW!"_

Eh. At least she _never_ felt bad about _hitting_ him.

* * *

**A/N: HOLY FREAK-IN-A-BUCKET! I wrote a lot...**

**Hahaha, the origin of that weird saying (see fail above) was from this one fan-made comic I read a while back. I never did forget it.**

**If you made that saying, please tell me. I'd love to thank you. Hahah.**

**How's our favorite couple adjusting to their new-found love? Jack and Sally...ah, NUFF SAID. **

**I realize that I made Jack extremely OOC compared to his portrayal in the movie. He seems unaware of the females in the film, but my Jack is...yeah, I know. And the innuendo! Geez, I'm a perv. But I'm making Jack rep it...mmm.**

**Update is late. I apologize. I wanna start writing right away after I post this! I really wish the next chap will be up sooner than this one. I dunno, how long should I make this anyway?**

**Thanks for the reviews! They mean a lot! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Test of Love**

* * *

"Sally, what will it take for you to want me?"

When all Jack Skellington received were disbelieving spluttering noises, accompanied by several _"dear, God"_s, he smiled and continued. "I mean, what do I have to do? I want a kiss, you know. A long kiss. Maybe an hour long make-out session! Oh, yeah, those are good!"

"Jack—"

"But we gotta be somewhere quiet. I hate doing that in front of people and having them stare—"

_"Jack!"_

"Huh?"

_"Shut. Up!"_

"What? Why would—" He paused. Around them, multiple of their classmates were staring, some open-mouthed and some grinning. The young prince immediately realized that his voice must've carried and now they—he and his new girlfriend—were the center of attention. Then again, it wasn't as if he wasn't used to being in the limelight; having to live as the Pumpkin King's only son tended to make him have to face everyone with confidence.

In other words, he was_ comfortable_ with their current situation.

"Hello, everyone! Why are you all staring? Ah, it's my beauty, isn't it? I knew you felt that way, Oogie..."

"Aw, hell _NO_! I am not checking you out, Bone-Face!"

"You say that now. How do I know you're not looking at my butt from behind, huh?"

This managed to lighten the mood considerably; almost everyone in the class burst out laughing. Sally ducked her head and buried her face in her arms, shoulders shaking.

"HEY! Dude, not cool!" Angrily, the Boogie Man grabbed one of his textbooks and proceeded to hit the backs of his friends' heads around him, that was, before he chucked it forcefully at a smirking Jack. The skeleton saw this and caught the offending book with ease.

"Jealous?"

"You want to die, don't you—?"

"I knew you would be! Oogie, if you felt that way, why didn't you let me know sooner?"

"Five seconds more and I will SERIOUSLY hit you!"

"..._where_ exactly?"

He lunged. Jack managed to dodge him almost nonchalantly, skillfully landing on the table. Around them, classmates cheered. Oogie threw several punches and kicks, though he missed each one. But if he hadn't been against the Pumpkin Prince himself, he probably would have been successful on inflicting damage. After a few minutes of humoring Oogie (i.e. blocking, side-stepping, and taunting playfully) the skeleton slipped behind his friend and lightly pushed him just as he stepped forward for a punch. That, along with his momentum, led to the Boogie Man hitting his arm on a nearby desk and splitting it open. From the opening, several scratching noises were audible.

"Aww, damn it! Thanks, Skellington..." Oogie scowled, covering the break with his other free hand. "I'll kill you when I get the chance..."

"No more than usual, Oogs," laughed Jack heartily, striding over to the cabinet behind the teacher's desk. He pulled out a small black chest from within, smiled at the label, and threw it to his annoyed friend, not necessarily expecting him to catch it...

And in all honesty, the box probably would have hit him in the face. At least, had not Sally surprised everyone with her accuracy as she caught it (perfectly) without a blink, right before it hit the burlap sack. Sighing, she knelt down where he was on the floor and held her hand out.

"May I see your arm?" she asked politely in her calm voice. Sheepishly, Oogie nodded and sat limply as the rag-doll inspected his damaged seam. She quickly pulled out a thread and needle from the box (it was some sort of first-aid kit) and she professionally mended the stitch in just a few seconds. Satisfied, she retrieved the spool of thread and needle and replaced them in the box.

All the while, Jack was silently fuming. Why was it that he beat Oogie (at whatever stupid 'fight' they had) yet _Sally_ was tending to the_ loser_? Shouldn't _she_ be in _his_ arms, asking if _he_ was okay? He didn't even start the whole mess!

"Are you_ JEALOUS_, Jack?" laughed Devil from beside him, shoving his back cheerfully. "Sally! Don't piss your boyfriend off!"

"H-huh?" It seemed that the young rag-doll, after seeing everyone's eyes on her and Jack's slightly peeved face, begun to retreat back into her protective shell.

"Damn, I've never seen Skellington green before," she heard whispering from some girl. "He usually causes it!"

"Yeah, what's up with Jack?"

"I don't know, maybe 'cuz Oogie's getting the _love_..."

"_Doy_, he's been trying to hit on Sally since day one!"

"No, REALLY?"

It was horrible. Classmates gossiped without even bothering to lessen their volume! Nobody attempted to change their names into _heavily-emphasized_ pronouns, either! It was as if the couple in question wasn't even there.

And of course, Sally was mentally crying.

Never was she one to enjoy hearing people talk about her. She hated even being mentioned! Her father raised her to be wary of what others said. He said _not_ to stand out,_ not_ to draw attention. Instead, she should stick to the shadows and excel from behind, but never flaunt her achievements.

In other words, be invisible.

And _that_ was it. The flaw to the plan!

She knew there was a risk to everything! Off the top of her head, she could name several hundreds of reasons why dating Jack would ruin her completely (_yeah, damn you, heart_!). But despite that, these reasons were apparently NOT enough to stop her from doing so anyway.

Stepping out of the shadows was just one she forgot to consider.

_Stupid!_

How could she let that slip by? It was obvious that her seventeen years of being unnoticed did _not_ secure anything about the future! Look what happened!

She fell in love and her mental planner that had her future perfectly laid out was thrown in the dumpster.

Darn. She liked that planner...it had a pretty front_ cover_.

Moving on...

"Hey, hey, Jack! Are you guys together yet?"

"Yeah, right! Sally hates his guts, remember?"

"Things change! Have you seen them fight today?"

"Yo, Sally, what do you think—?"

"As much as I absolutely_ enjoy_ witnessing your pointless interactions," drawled a cold voice from the front of the room, "my class time will not be wasted. Sit down!"

The whipped cracked.

Startled, all students scrambled into their respective seats, cringing as Finkelstein barked at them to hurry up. Sally barely managed to glance at Jack's stony face before her attention was drawn to the chalkboard.

* * *

It had been only a few minutes into the lesson when she gave in.

Alright, she had known that Skellington was upset, and that he ignored taking notes because of it.  
She squirmed in her seat due to an odd feeling gnawing at her. It seemed to insist that she was causing Jack pain.

_Guilt._

Ah, how she _hated_ feeling guilty. If there was a feeling that was successfully distracting (omitting love), then it was that.

And she did _not_ enjoy being distracted.

It was a sign of how desperate she was to make it up to Jack (though she never really wrong to him) that she completely forgot to make sure her father was not looking at her when she wrote the note. She didn't check, either, when she threw it back at the skeleton, hitting his arm.

Woken out of his admittedly-jealous thoughts, Jack blinked once, staring blankly at the crumpled ball of paper on his desk. Shrugging, he opened it.

And then he grinned.

Oh, he knew he_ loved_ her for a reason!

**_Hey, stop frowning. It makes you uglier than usual, and we don't want that, do we? I can barely take your face normally, anyway._**

**_Besides, you know I like you best._**

**_Love from Sally._**

He knew her well enough to be able to translate the whole message. It really said, _"Please don't be mad, it makes me feel down. I'm sorry if it seemed that I was ignoring you, but I really just wanted to help Oogie. You know I love you only."_

Although Jack felt that the end was more of a stretch than anything else, it would have been highly accurate in Sally's eyes.

_She loved him._

* * *

Considering how fun their first school-lunch together was a few days ago (with indirect kisses, jellied brains, and a whole_ lot_ of Undersea Gal) it would seem likely that Jack and Sally would have an equally eventful lunch as a couple.

Wrong.

It went by smoothly. Jack escorted her like a gentleman to the grand cafeteria, and then he went ahead and pulled her seat out for her. He brought her lunch instead of having her wait in line, managing to get one of the better meals available—steamed brains stuffed with maggots.

Delicious!

At the table, they talked about whatever came to mind, every now and then sharing secret smiles. To Sally's complete surprise (and delight) all girls that came up to flirt with Jack were promptly but politely refused. They all seemed _flabbergasted_ that the Pumpkin Prince, renowned _ladies-man_, was focused solely on the quiet, reserved rag-doll transfer student.

And for once, Sally did not mind that she was the center of attention.

Jack was with her.

The real problem—and first test of love—was the following period.

Professor Corpse, for reasons unknown to the general public, was gone for Historical Halloween, which happened to be extended from before lunch.

A different man, with pale, snow-white skin and silver hair stood in front of the desk, arms crossed. Behind him was a familiar scythe.

_The Grim Reaper._

His hood, which was attached to the back of the ragged black cloth he wore, was not covering his face and black eyes as usual. Most mortals would probably be surprised that he was not as demonic as he seemed on Halloween evening when he was scaring, and that he looked almost like one of them.

Although he was harmless, students had a great reason to fear him.

"You brats gunna take all day? I have to teach more of your stupid buddies in an hour," he drawled harshly, coldly glaring at each passing ghoul hurrying to their seats. They had ten minutes to get to class, but that did not matter to Reaper; all students that came in were marked tardy regardless.

Including Jack and Sally.

They were not last to enter the classroom, but he did spend more time_ bothering_ them.

"C'mon! Huh? Oh, look. Another one." The teacher smirked, approaching the two. Instinctively, Jack pulled Sally closer and wrapped an arm around her waist. "No public display of affection, Skellington!"

"Excuse us, Mr. Reaper, but we'd like to get back to our seats," the skeleton replied coolly, casually moving the rag-doll behind him. That, of course, did not go unnoticed.

"Hmm, what have we here?" The older ghoul shamelessly nudged Jack away and grabbed Sally's wrist. He yanked her forward and inspected her almost hungrily. The class stared in horror as he put a skinny finger underneath her chin and tilted her face upwards. "A new pretty doll, eh? Haven't seen _that_ in a while..."

The teenager in question stared icily back, rebuilding her protective wall. Unbeknownst to most, her father had taught her how to handle situations such as these without showing any emotion. Even though she was nervous and trembling inside, she knew better than to let him know. Not to mention, Igor had her trained in the art of _'butt-whooping'_...

Jack was to prove that he was her Romeo.

"That, sir, is sexual harassment!" With that, the Prince broke the hold Reaper had on Sally and protectively led her back to her seat, shooting a dark glare at the teacher as he did so.

The substitute merely laughed. "This class never fails to amaze me. Now hurry up so we can start!"

Before he retreated to his desk, Jack felt a pressure on his hand and was surprised to see his girlfriend smiling up at him. He squeezed back and whispered, _"I love you."_

She winked.

The warmth the two carried into the horrible lesson lasted only until Reaper became bored.

They were reading an ancient text, with symbols most did not understand. It was clear that Professor Corpse was not planning to teach them this until a few more months after they had learned the basics. The most one knew in the class (except a few) were only _two_ symbols.

There were about a hundred on the page.

"Who would be nice enough to translate this whole garbage?" called out Reaper, reclining on his chair. "Anyone?"

When he saw all students throw him looks of pure hatred, his lips curled into a sadistic smile. Perfect. "How about Mr. Prince Hero Skelly? Just the first two sentences will do."

Jack's gnashed his teeth together, and the pencil he was holding broke in half under the pressure of his fingers. Oogie muttered a warning, and Devil merely shook his head. However, the future king ignored them and proceeded to mentally translate the page. Fortunately, he was one of the few who actually knew about ancient text; his father was a bookworm after all!

"Give me a little intro, kid. What's it about?"

"Well, sir," began Jack in a suave voice that made most girls swoon, "it seems to be a journal entry from one of the first Pumpkin Kings."

"No, really? I had no idea," was Reaper's sarcastic remark. "Please, enlighten us more! Go on, translate!"

Another pencil snapped, but it was not Jack's doing. "Alright. _'October the thirty-first. It seems to me that the hour of twilight is approaching. My work will soon begin._'"

Applause broke.

_Literally._

The three sentences that Jack read actually took up _half_ the page! It was impressive because nobody knew anything past the first symbol: October.

Sally beamed at him, clapping the loudest with Oogie.

His triumph, nevertheless, was to be cut short.

"SHUT UP!" roared the Grim Reaper. He threw the textbook at the chalkboard and everybody jumped. Scowling, he crossed his arms and glared defiantly at Jack. "Why clap for him? He was completely _wrong_."

It was a sign of how much the class despised him that all shut their books in disgust and began yelling curses.

"Damn you and the translations! He was right and you know it!"

"Yeah, what the hell's wrong with you?"

"I knew you were stupid, but I didn't know just how much!"

"Go jump into the lake!"

All settled down when the demon grabbed his scythe and pointed it at their general direction. His white lips were pressed in a thin line as his pupils grew red. "I won't hesitate to hurt you guys," he began softly, staring at each of their eyes as he scanned the room, "because I really don't care if you get hurt. I'm paid to stand here and fill in for your normal teacher. That's all. I have none of your best interests at heart.

"Jack Skellington was _hopelessly_ incorrect because he did not translate the last part in the way it should have been. He said 'will soon begin.' Does anyone want to tell me why that is wrong? No? Well, obviously. You're all brain-dead. It is _'must begin.'_ I do not know what possessed him to say 'will soon,' but that is not it. He is as stupid as the rest of you, and I hope you realize that he _'will soon'_ be your king, one that _'will soon'_ lead us into state of absolute destruction."

Shock would have been an understatement. What...just happened? They gaped at him, mouths hanging open. Did he...did he just put _Jack_ down in front of the entire class? _The_ Jack Skellington? Not even _Finkelstein_ dared to do that!

As for the Pumpkin Prince himself...he was quiet. And still. And emotionless.

And _very_ unlike his usual self.

Silence was broken by the one person _least likely_ to rebel against a professor-like figure.

Sally Finkelstein.

* * *

**A/N: Happy Halloween, everybody! I'm sure you're all trick-or-treating, or maybe singing "Kidnap the Sandy Claws," but oh well!**

**I decided to update this fic a little quicker than usual because I realized it was Halloween Evening and I had to do something in honor of Nightmare Before Christmas. And what better tribute than make fanfictions of them all? **

**Most of you guys will probably see this after Halloween, so I hope you all kept safe! Throw away those opened candies! Be wary of homemade stuff! Etc...**

**And if you're reading this before trick-or-treating (though it's late and I can't imagine why) then remember to keep safe as well!**

**Heheheheheh. **

**Back to the story...**

**Yes, Sally is going to show us just what a rag-doll like herself can do! Watch out, Reaper!**

**And my reason for making the Grim Reaper a potentially-hot guy...I don't know. **

**Thanks for reading, and Happy Halloween once again!**

**This is Halloween, this is Halloween!**

**Pumpkins scream in the dead of night!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Interior Decorating Creepers**

* * *

While most everyone was still coming out of shock at Reaper's more-than-unkind monologue, Sally's hand was quick to shoot up. Her face had look of silent fury, and her other palm sported a destroyed mechanical pencil.

Pfft. And it had read **'unbreakable.'**

The teacher seemed mildly surprised that someone had the nerve to annoy him even after seeing first-hand the ridiculing of the most influential student of the Academy.

But it did amuse him. "Whose hand is that? Oh, Rag Doll."

"Sally," she calmly stated in return, rising to a standing position. Remaining behind her desk in the same manner one would after being called on to recite something, she glared at the Grim Reaper. "Sally Finkelstein."

"Finkelstein? Sounds familiar...oh, yes. What did you want?"

"If I may, I would like to make a correction to_ your_ correction." The demon raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Sally took a deep breath before continuing. "You see, _'must_' is not present in that sentence; in fact, there is no one symbol for it. The language back then found it redundant, and it was encouraged only to give basic words its own symbol. _'Must'_ is actually comprised of the symbols of _'will'_ and _'do.'_ As you know, words made up of the base symbols are placed together with no spaces in between. So for _'must'_ to be present, shouldn't both _'will_' and _'do'_ have to be together?_ 'Do'_ isn't even in _there_! How could the translation _possibly_ be _'must begin'_ if _'must'_ isn't even used?_ 'Will'_ is, though, and so is_ 'soon'_. Therefore, is_ Jack_ not _correct_?"

They stared at her as she looked expectantly at the teacher.

If a pin dropped...well, first off, that would hurt the poor pin. Why was it always the pin anyway? Why not a paperclip? Regardless, the room was quiet enough to hear one of those things drop.

Anyway...

Classes don't normally have the same, general thought. High school especially, since of the many types of characters and mindsets for each student. Yet for the first time, everyone in the classroom (omitting one) had only three words in their heads:

What. The. _Heck?_

What was Sally talking about? Base symbols? No spaces and...what? Where did she get that information? Nobody's been taught anything about ancient text since roughly ten minutes ago!

But...

The way she said it...

It was as if...

"The hell are you talking about?" burst out Reaper into the silence, his voice sharp despite the obvious tinge of uneasiness. "How do you know that?"

"I studied it, sir," replied Sally calmly, no trace of nervousness or hesitation detectable. She didn't play with her hands, or shift her weight from foot to foot. Because that would be showing fear. And she didn't want that.

At all.

No, she stood tall and unflinching, eyes gleaming with an emotion nobody's ever seen her with.

Jack's jaw dropped to the floor when she shot him a warning, half-lidded sideways glance.

Unintentionally being completely appealing.

Damn...if that didn't turn him on...

Uh...he didn't just think that.

"You _studied_ it?" deadpanned the teacher with an almost disbelieving look on his face. His red eyes finally returned to its normal hue. Good thing, too, because Sally thought he looked like a creeper. And _not_ in a good way, either. "You freaking studied it? How is that possible? How the_ hell_ is that possible?"

"It's possible, sir."

"It's poss—alright, so if I asked you if you were fluent, you'd tell me you were?" he taunted coolly, leering at the younger ghoul.

In response—almost the complete opposite of what he was expecting—was a very small smile.

"I am, actually."

And he'd had it.

He snapped.

Finally.

"You're lying!" he yelled, still not completely over the previous outburst of the class that basically_ booed_ him off the nonexistent stage. "Nobody's seen this kind of garbage in centuries! What makes_ you_ think _you_ know all about it when_ you_ haven't even lived a _millionth_ of how long_ I_ have?"

"Not all old men are wise," Sally answered after a beat, lips twitching upwards slightly as though she wanted to smile. Which she did.

"What are you saying, you bratty little wench? Are you implying that I don't know any more than you do?"

"Like a _boss_."

See, she really could help it; she was having so much fun that she'd decided to drop all seriousness. Banters were especially enjoyable with people who didn't know how to throw comments and insults right back at you.

And she was getting a little bit bored.

Well, at least she secured herself _some_ excitement—half a second later, the teacher had all but reverted back to 'Grim Reaper' mode (complete with the hood and glowing red eyes) and was now pointing his scythe at her. Darkness began to form around the blade.

"GET DOWN!" she called out to everyone in the vicinity, watching as all but her (ironically enough) fell to the floor and cowered under the table. At least, she _thought_ everyone did.

_"Sally!"_ yelled an angry-looking Jack, tugging down on her hand. She blinked; how did he get beside her so quickly? Regardless, she frowned at him and proceeded to gently kick his body away, managing to move him back to near his own desk where he belonged.

"Don't move," she mouthed to his shocked face, not realizing that he was actually blushing instead of her for once.

Huh.

If she had paid attention, she'd have realized ol' Jack-o got a nice shot of her pretty black panties when she kicked him.

And of course, if she had known that, she'd have been predisposed to kill him. But there was always time for that later...

Moving on...

Breezily, she glanced at the growing dark sphere Reaper was still creating, probably to harness as much power as possible. The lights of the classroom had been mysteriously put out, so the glow of the scythe illuminated the area. Unreal and almost right off a page of a tacky comic book, it was a funny sight, really, but the knowledge that it was still pretty dangerous made her keep from laughing at the absurdity of it all.

Tch.

"So, did you ever think of going into interior decorating, or are you just experimenting with that design?" she asked him as the ball grew larger and larger, with black spots circling it and tiny streaks of thunder dancing around. Don't blame her; it did look like something found in a catalog. Not the Grim Reaper, by the way, because nobody would really buy him to decorate their homes—that would be really weird and creepy; she meant the prettiness of the sphere of darkness. Ha.

Then Reaper began, in a voice to rival that of an enraged Oogie Boogie and Jack Skellington combined:

**"YOU SHALL SUFFER FROM ETERNAL NIGHTMARES FROM NOW UNTIL THE END. AND WHEN YOU WAKE, IT WILL BE TO A BLAZING INFERNO OF—"**

"You _really_ should get out more—"

**"—PAIN AND TORTURE WILL FOREVER GRACE YOUR—"**

"—would that even really be gracing anything—?"

**"—FACE THE WRATH OF THE GRIM REAPER, MASTER OF DEATH—"**

"—that title's been claimed by several ghouls already, you know—"

**"SHUT UP! LISTEN TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY, AND LISTEN GOOD, FOR IT WILL BE THE LAST THING THAT REACHES YOUR EARS!"**

"It's _'listen well,'_ by the way."

Sally was really having fun.

And that, my dear children, was why Reaper suddenly gave up all his _shenanigans-slash-traditions_ (because really, why would anyone yell out the upcoming doom? Why not just wait for it to be a surprise?) and simply charged at the poor rag-doll.

See what words reduce ancient monsters into?

The lights flickered right back on, but only dimly. Many of the students gaped as the monster drew nearer to the unfazed teen. Jack moved to block her.

In fact, had the door _not_ slammed open to reveal a flustered Professor Corpse, who then threw himself at the substitute and pinned him against the chalkboard with such force they never expected from him, then maybe Sally _would_ have gotten mauled.

Or not. Igor had her trained in the art of _butt-whooping_, remember?

**Mellow Instructor versus Substitute Creep; who will win?**

"GRIM! What the hell do you think you're doing?" snarled the more favorable teacher whilst shaking the other's collar threateningly. It was an odd sight; Corpse never got mad before. He was the most laid-back teacher, after all, with his constant 'study hall' periods and naps in the lounge. Sometimes he forgot to show up to class completely and they simply sat there for two or three hours before the next teacher came and panicked. "Why would you attack a student? And Miss Finkelstein to boot!"

"Damn that, damn her, and damn _you!_ That little—"

"Shut it! Do you have any idea who you're referring to?"

"Yes, I freaking do! That girl's been a_ pain_! What makes her think that she can say she's fluent in an ancient language half of us don't even know about? Or that she's smarter than me?"

"Oh, I don't know, because she_ is_?"

And suddenly, Sally paled. For the first time that day, she finally showed the fear in her face. She really hoped Corpse wouldn't say anything about her...

But of course whoever ruled the Underworld would not let her off the hook that easy.

They decided to make it _worse_.

"What are—?"

"Sally Finkelstein is the special case to our Academy! She's the school _genius_! Do you know that all the benefits we were given are because of her? All Academies in the damn Underworld fought to have her study with them! And trust me, there are several that are _better_ than ours, but she picked _us_ anyway! Her I.Q. is off the charts! Probably a hundred times higher than _yours_! She has _never_ missed a question on any test, including the one we give across the Worlds! She is the only reason Halloween World is notable in the school system. Of course she knows more than you. She knows more than all the teachers put together! So don't you dare tell me you're better, because trust me, _you are NOT_!"

Sally sighed into the very stunned silence.

Cat's out of the bag now.

_Damn_ cat.

* * *

**A/N: Yo!**

**Yeah,** **I know, really short chapter. I guess this is some sort of filler. Heh.**

**I realize that my writing style is slightly different, but I hope it isn't too obvious. **

**And I also apologize for any mistakes. **

**I'll be honest,I'm not so sure if this fic will be discontinued or not. It's hard to write something you aren't too interested in anymore, but I'll try to fix that. :D**

**Oh yes, next chapter will probably be in Sally's POV. Heh.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: My Dad's Not Bad, Huh?**

* * *

**Sally**

Oh. My. God.

He actually said it.

He told.

See, if I had known that this was the consequence of messing with Reaper's temper, I probably _wouldn't_ have made fun of his interior decorating skills.

...I really should drop that, shouldn't I?

The class is unbearably silent. Remember all the times I said I enjoyed being able to hear myself think? Yeah, I'm taking all those back right now.

I really don't want to think too much at this moment, thank you.

Everyone's staring at me...how great. I hate attention, and now I'm probably in the biggest, brightest lime light in the whole damn Underworld.

Woop-dee-freaking-do.

"You've got to be kidding me," the substitute finally groans, glowering at my _general direction_. Aw, who am I kidding? He's glaring daggers at _me_ and no one else. I'm tempted to look around in confusion and mouth "ME?" at him, but that wouldn't be very productive, now would it?

I really would love nothing more than to be back in my room, preferably under a nice, soft blanket, with a cup of hot chocolate (melty spider eyes for the win!) and Jack snuggled up next to me.

Okay, just take that last thought and throw it out the window. Hard. And far, far, _far away_. As in, let it go. Yeah. Do that. Now.

I digress.

But trust me, there is nothing more (I said that twice...darn it) that I wish to happen than for me to vanish on the spot-right now-and just die. Or something. Maybe not die, 'cause I can't (I'm undead, so...) but I don't want to be here. In front of my classmates. And two teachers who are definitely never going to make my favorite-ghouls list anytime soon. And Jack...

Oh.

**_OHMYGOD_**, Jack heard it all, too!

No! No, no, NO! He _can't_ know about this! Everything's going to change! I just know it!

Damn!

"Finkelstein's not going to be happy about the way you're treating his protégée," comments Professor Corpse lightly, waggling his eyebrows with amusement. So if he isn't a sleepy, absentminded instructor, he's playful?

I mean, he is actually one of the younger teachers.

Don't think too much on that. I don't like him.

I like Ja—

Shutting up now...

"That old duck-face doesn't intimidate me in the least," snarls Reaper with a scowl, shoving the other away from him, "and neither do you."

Corpse scoffs and crosses his arms. "Maybe not me. But we both know you practically_ fear_ him."

My dad is scary. Especially when he's creating something. With the lightning effects, the evil laughter, and the _"IT LIVES!"_, it doesn't really come to a surprise that he's one of the "Scariest Ghoul Undead" in that Witch magazine. Go ahead and laugh, but those things have the best cookie recipes. That's the only reason I started reading them. It had nothing to do with the fact that Jack was always at the top. Number two, to be exact. Right after his dad. Even wearing that really cute pin-stripped suit. That I was NOT staring at. Ahem.

"I. Am. The. Grim Reaper! Nobody—especially a deranged professor that can open his head like a can—scares me!" And to prove his point, he basically destroys the chalkboard with a fist. It shatters like glass. How irresponsible! We could have gotten hurt! What a bothersome loner...

Maybe he's upset that we didn't like his designs?

Okay. I'm done with that joke. He wouldn't make a good decorator anyway. I'd never hire him, at least.

Yup.

Definitely.

"Is that so?" a voice oozes out from the side, and there, standing in the doorway, is probably the last monster I wanted to see at this moment.

My father.

* * *

The room turned deadly silent as everyone took in the bored look of Doctor Finkelstein, who in turn was eyeing Reaper in distaste. He had his arms crossed in his usual manner, but the iciness in his glare told them that what was about to happen would be nothing like the norm.

"It's hardly comforting to know that one of my colleagues looks down upon me," he finally drawled, leaning against the doorframe with most of his weight on his left foot, "but I find it no better to know that they don't hold an ounce of fear towards me, either."

"What makes you certain that you should be feared, old man?" retorted an equally-disgruntled Grim Reaper, picking up a shard of what once was a blackboard. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Though I have no reason to answer to you, I might as well let you know that I could hear the ruckus from his room from the first floor. Tell me, what floor are we on currently?"

"...the thirteenth."

"Precisely."

"So, what now? You came all the way up here just to say that we were being too loud?"

"I was...until I heard a very particular comment. Yours, to be specific." There was no secret what that comment was, yet Sally couldn't help but hope that maybe it wasn't what she was expecting. Maybe Finkelstein heard something else. Anything else.

Not about her, preferably.

"You don't believe that my daughter is one of the most highly intellectual beings in the Underworld," calmly stated the old professor, leaving his post by the door and sauntering over to Reaper. He nonchalantly slapped the shard of chalkboard from the other's hand with a snarl. "Weapons are prohibited on school grounds."

"Like I care," scoffed the demon, gesturing towards his abandoned scythe. "And, so what? What's wrong if I don't think that brat has the brains?"

Finkelstein momentarily considered stabbing Reaper with a piece of broken blackboard that was conveniently within reach of his hand. But that would be assault, which is also prohibited. Even if he didn't care. Because he really did not.

"My child has tested the same exact exam _you_ took prior to becoming a teacher. And since I am part of the charges of this Academy, I do know that it is twice as high as yours. In fact, it was the perfect score, and you can only imagine how often qualified graduates strive—and fail—to achieve that."

Now, the silence was stunned.

But, considering who was in the class...

"Oooh, you just burned, ya creep!"

...would that really last?

Oogie continued to howl from his seat. It was amazing how he was the first to recover from the shock of the events that had surprisingly taken place in the half-hour they were there.

As Reaper's mouth twitched in annoyance, several giggles erupted from the back of the class, particularly those who were near the Boogie Man. Jack finally seemed to snap back to reality as his mouth formed a devious smirk.

"All talk and no action! I can't believe the Grim Reaper—_Death_ himself—is _fwightened by a mean ol' doctow_!" he bellowed out, causing more peals of laughter from his peers.

Another twitch.

"That's pathetic!"

"Lame!"

"Why the hell was I scared of you awhile ago?"

_"LOSER!"_

_'This is good,'_ Sally suddenly thought to herself, reveling in the taunts her classmates threw at the offending monster, _'maybe they don't really care about what Corpse said...'_

And so she slowly, very inconspicuously, sunk to her seat, all the while avoiding making too many movements.

And because whoever ruled the Underworld decided that she had been tortured enough, they let nobody notice.

_Finally._

"SHUT UP! NEED I REMIND YOU WHAT HORRORS I CAN CAUSE YOU BRATS?"

"Hey! _Inside_ voice!"

"Why you little—"

_"ENOUGH!"_ A whip cracked and everybody cringed. Finkelstein held the offending object with a shaking hand as he glared murderously at his colleague. "Grim, if you ever talk with such indecency at my students again, I swear I'll make you_ remember_ just why _I'm_ in charge of this school!"

It was obvious that Reaper was waging war inside his dark, creeped-up head. His two choices were, in retrospect, simple: keep annoying the old quack and get hell from the Academy, or walk out with whatever pride he had left and save it all for another—and hopefully_ better_—day. Any other normal teacher in his situation would probably choose the latter hands-down. Normal. As in, _without_ anger-management issues, a scythe that bent reality itself, or a body filled to a brim with black magic. And if_ Sally_ was asked, _without_ terrible interior decorating skills.

Well...she wasn't really asked; it was just a point that needed to be stated.

Ah, whatever was Grim supposed to do?

After a few more moments of careful consideration, he finally gave a low whistle and shook his head. Forget it. He'd have revenge later. Right now, he was wasting more time butting heads with a bunch of morons who clearly would _never_ be on his side.

Psh. Jerks.

"I don't need this," he remarked with a shrug, leaning over to grab his _handy-dandy_ weapon. Resting it carefully over his shoulder, he turned around and walked towards the exit, ignoring both other proctors ("Don't you dare leave!").

Briefly, without facing them, he murmured in an eerie voice, "Don't think I'll forget you,_ Rag-Doll_..."

And he left.

Stupid creepy wanna-be interior decorator...

* * *

**A/N: Update! Yay!**

**I really wasn't too fond of this chapter. Mainly because I'm excited about the next one! I think I might try one LONG chapter instead of two or three short ones...hmm...what sounds better? Might take a while though. I got lots of things coming up...**

**I hope I haven't disappointed a lot of people! I know I'm a slow updator (how would that be spelled?) ...and this story seems dead...but it isn't! So please bear with me! **

**Thanks for reading everything so far! It means a lot!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: One of Those Times...Or Not**

* * *

The door shut close with a loud bang and they could hear the sound of an earthquake crumbling the floors. This meant only one thing—Reaper had teleported away, instead of walking like he should be. What. A. _Brat_.

Anyway, the sound was common; so many ghouls had that ability and they used it almost every day, either when they were running late or just plain lazy. And with it being school, the usage of the strange power was at the _extremes_. Naturally, nobody minded the sound.

It was a sad fact, considering it was also _against_ the rules. They could only use it during Tactical Scaring at the very least...

"What a guy, eh?" sighed Professor Corpse after a beat. He rubbed his hands together imploringly, turning his attention to the broken chalkboard. "Well, this needs to be replaced..."

Professor Finkelstein glanced at him. "Just use a spell...it should work."

"Oh, dear. I don't remember how long it's been since the last time I used one of those..."

"It's basic."

"Alright, alright, I'm on it..."

While everyone else watched, transfixed, as their seemingly laid-back Historical Halloween-slash-Art teacher carefully muttered a few indecipherable words under his breath, causing the sharp pieces on the floor to glow black, Finkelstein glared at his daughter. And, as if she knew someone was watching her, she turned her head away from the shards dancing gracefully in the air as they slowly formed the chalkboard in a puzzlesque like manner and met her father's intense gaze.

Oh, shoot...

"Does everyone feel up to learning?" called out Corpse when he was done, brushing his hands on the sides of his pants. He was met by another awkward silence.

"Of course they can learn," snapped the older professor in response, crossing his arms. "That was just a little _distraction_. Nothing major enough to bother them."

Oogie opened his mouth—no doubt to come back with a smart reply—but was instantly shut up with a sharp hiss from Jack. He nodded unsurely.

"Okay, then. Could you please turn to page six-hundred and thirteen of the history? Leave the symbols alone; we're not doing that just yet..."

And finally, the room was filled with sound once more. Textbooks were being opened, pages flapping and ripping, and students whispered to one another about book-sharing or just random babbles. Sally was about to retrieve her own text when Finkelstein cleared his throat.

"Sally, gather your belongings and come with me, please."

He said it low enough that she—and maybe one or two others from the first row—could hear without making a big hassle of things. She swallowed nervously, but complied all the same.

Finkelstein, after giving a curt nod to his colleague, left. At least, it seemed that way. Sally gave a defeated sigh as she finished packing her things and securing them in her bag. She stood up, careful not to draw any unwanted attention from her classmates. It didn't seem that hard of a task; they were either too busy arguing what page number the teacher gave ("He said thirteen!" "No, moron, it was three hundred!" "I heard page five!" "What the hell? He didn't even _say_ five!" "That's 'cause you didn't hear it!") or swapping tidbits of gossip between themselves while waiting for most to catch up.

The rag-doll touched the cool handle of the door and pushed it open. Halfway outside, she glanced behind her at the teacher.

Would he care of she just left...?

Fortunately—or perhaps _un_fortunately—Corpse saw her before she could sneak off and grinned. "Go ahead. We're just covering the Halloween Battle of 1366. Nothing you don't already know."

That immediately grabbed all the other students' attention. They were silent for a second before recalling what had been said earlier—Sally Finkelstein was a genius. A school board-acknowledged one at that.

The whispers began.

"—is she for_ real_? I heard a rumor about someone like that, but I didn't think it was _her_!"

"—she's so _quiet_, how could we know—?"

"—I'm jealous, I wish_ I_ was that smart—"

"—brains_ and_ a hot body! The Boogie Man_ likes_..."

_'Kill me,'_ she thought desperately as she slipped out of the room, almost giving in to her desire to slam the door shut, _'kill me now.'_

But she was a _good_ girl. At least, she was supposed to be, and so _no_, she did not slam anything shut.

...

That was it, wasn't it?

_Supposed._

She was supposed to be a genius. She was supposed to be beautiful. She was supposed to be freaking _perfect_.

_She was supposed to be what Finkelstein wanted her to be._

Because she was just a rag-doll. An experiment that actually _worked_. Feelings and emotions were just mistakes, no doubt a glitch of sorts. If the Doctor could have made her without them, he surely would have.

And she'd be what he always wanted:

A pawn. A stupid, meaningless pawn with no sense of purpose in life other than to be displayed as some sort of first-class invention to strangers. And she'd have to take it with a smile.

A big, happy, fake smile that could never hold a candle to what she really felt. What she really thought.

Her life...was never going to change, was it?

"Jealous," she murmured to herself as she finally began to move. Distinctly, the chatter from her classroom was still audible. If she tried, it would not be hard to hear what they were saying at all. But she didn't want to. She didn't want to hear anymore. Not now. So she walked. The staircases were grand and beautiful, set at the center of the main hallway on each floor. If one was lazy—or perhaps running late—they could simply hop onto a platform and yell out the room number and _poof_! They'd be there. Considering Sally was trying to prolong the inevitable (again), she took her time slowly descending the cool, black marble steps.

For some reason, it made her think of Jack's eyes...

...or lack thereof.

* * *

"Okay, so here's what happened in this war: there were two teams—or groups...or _somethings_. Huh? Yeah? _Cool_. On one side—the stupid one—there're the really_ lame_ guys, with those pumpkin-faced losers who were really weak and probably sucked big time. I hate them already, by the way. Then, there were these _amazing_ Boogie-Man-tribe-kinda people. Clearly, since they were just plain _awesome_ and controlled the whole bug population, they were on their way to winning, right? RIGHT. But the other turds cheated and used Dark Flames and BOOM. Killed the bug monsters on the spot. It was a cheap shot, duh. So they pretty much burned my group down—lame!—and that was how the war ended. With stupid Pumpkin Kings instead of Bug Masters and Jack as the Prince. The-_freaking_-end."

The class sat in wary silence for a while before Jack (ironically enough) began the applause, which actually lasted a bit longer than necessary. But oh, well...

Such was life...

Er..._after-_life.

Professor Corpse only sighed, rubbing his face with his hands and letting his forehead meet the podium several times. At this point, he only blamed himself for calling on the burlap sack.

"Well, even though you just_ butchered_ up the most significant event in our history, you did summarize the main points... Any other thoughts to add to that?"

Jack raised his hand. "So if the Pumpkin Demons never found the Black Flames, we'd be under _Oogie's_ rule?" The class collectively shuddered. Even the Boogie Man, although his was mostly out of pure delight.

"It...I suppose it's_ possible_, although you have to take into account all the other groups who could have tried to overthrow the Bug Masters. But yes, if nobody else had overpowered them, then Mr. Boogie would be our...ruler..." The teacher faltered at the last part, wrinkling his nose at the idea of being under _Oogie Boogie's_ reign. Not a good mental image. He was sure he'd probably murder himself the first chance he got, despite the law of being undead.

"So if I kill Jack, I get to be king?"

"I didn't say t—"

"YO, SKELL! I CHALLENGE YOU TO A FIGHT TO THE DEATH! WINNER TAKES_ ALL_!"

"I would, but I'd rather not make a mess of you on the walls—"

"WINNER ALSO GETS SALLY!"

"Mr. Boogie, _get down from your desk_!"

"YOU _DARE_ BRING MY LADY INTO THIS? A FIGHT IT SHALL _BE_!"

"Mr. Skellington, off your's, too!"

_"Fight! Fight! Fight!"_

Podium...meet Professor Corpse's face.

Repeatedly.

* * *

As nice as it was sitting in the comfort of her room, Sally couldn't help but wish she was doing chores instead. Because if she was doing something, her mind would be focused on getting her job done. It would be as silent as she could get it to be.

But now wasn't one of those times.

_"Why put yourself out there for that wretched skeleton boy? I said to always treat your teacher with respect and leave the others alone! Mind your own business! You're lucky it was only Reaper who you mouthed off to! If it was the chairman—or, or a Scholar, the consequences would be much more severe!"_

She could hear the pitter-patter of raindrops outside. **Drip. Drip. Drip.**

_"I made you to be the perfect student. A child I wouldn't mind calling my own. Do you want me to doubt that? Do you want me to put you back where you belong? In a cell with only cobwebs to talk to?"_

Thunder. When she was born, there was thunder. And rain. And a flash of light.

And it hurt.

_"You've become foolish, Sally. Don't delude yourself with friendship. It's unnecessary. If you stick up for your 'friends' and you lose everything for them, they will not help you back up. In fact, they'll just make sure you can't stand anymore."_

She buried her face into her only pillow.

_Tap-tap-tap._

The wind must be making the branches of a tree scrape against her window. It sounded oddly comforting...

_**TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP!**_

Wait...

There were no trees in her yard!

"What the—?"

And when she had finally jumped out of the comfort of her bed, less than gracefully scrambling to the window that stretched almost half her room in length, she pulled the curtains apart and was met face-to-face with a grinning Jack Skellington

_ Déjà vu._

"Hey!" he greeted brightly as he was let in, landing gracefully on his small feet. Water droplets clung to his skull and his entire body was soaked through.

"Hi..." Her voice wavered as she headed to her closet to retrieve a towel, which she tossed to him. She managed to steal a glance at her reflection as she passed her tiny, shattered mirror and was glad that she looked at least _somewhat_ decent, albeit very tired. Plus, it was odd...she didn't even seem to be fazed by his presence. Especially considering the—ah—_circumstances_.

"Some day, huh?" commented Jack with his usual chipper voice, accepting the cloth and wiping his face with it. He stripped off his jacket, which had clearly bore most of the weather's attacks considering his shirt was perfectly dry.

"Mmm," was the noncommittal sound he received in response.

"Me and Oogie had a fight in class today," continued the skeletal prince matter-of-factly, "but we had to stop when we broke the board again."

"How did that—?"

"A chair."

"A...wait, you know that the desks are stuck to the seats, right?"

"I know."

"Then I guess _I_ don't want to..."

"Probably not," he laughed with a shrug, waltzing over to her bed and sitting down. It should have bothered her that he was much too comfortable crashing into her room than he should have been, but at this moment, her mind was elsewhere and she overlooked the fact.

"What's wrong?" Jack questioned, tilting his head to the side. "Did you get sick?"

The worry in his tone made her want to flinch. Her stomach twisted and she wondered if maybe she_ was_.

And why wasn't she a blushing mess yet? Shouldn't it be normal to be nervous when her _boyfriend_ was around?

At the thought of the word, she _did_ flinch.

"You okay, Sal?"

_I'm different now. You know it. You know who I really am, who I'm not._

_Stop pretending._

Her fists clenched.

Up until this moment, her emotions had been kept in check. They were hidden well. Forgotten. _Controlled_.

So why was she angry now then, and in front of Jack, no less? No, _wait_. Why was she angry at the sight of him—_because_ of him—the knowledge that he was there?

Why did his face make her...conflicted? Upset?

_What happened?_

"Sally?"

"I'm _fine_," she hissed unknowingly, eyes prickling. She wanted to cry. Truly. When was the last time, anyway, that she did?

But no, that wouldn't work. Shedding tears was useless. Stupid.

Weak.

_Oh-so-absolutely weak!_

Jack could be a flirt at times. He could act like a complete fool with his friends and annoy his teachers with such skill and precision that it_ must_ be a profession. At the same time, he knew when to be serious, when _not_ to laugh everything off and grin like a champion.

Now was one of those times.

* * *

**A/N: Wow. At the end, I couldn't do a long chapter. I just know it would ruin the plot. **

**And speaking of plot, I don't know what just happened here! I have this scene that I need to do at some point (hopefully in the near future) but these last few chapters have been leading me away from it. Heheheheh. It's basically taking a detour in my non-existent road-trip of...uh, fanfiction. Yeah...**

**Sorry for my random updating. I planned on doing this last week, but so many things came up over the weekend. Oh, and finals. Ugh.**

**And uh-oh, what's up, Sally? Don't ya love Jack~? 'Course ya do! But we do need _some_ conflict...**

**Thanks so much for reviews! It lets me know if I'm slipping, and honestly, I think I am. I mean, last chapter was such a fail. ;P**

**The next few might be a little bit more angsty than usual. But teenagers need 'em...so sorry Nightmare guys! **

**Okay, this is so long. Dunno why...**

**Thanks again, everyone! I'll try to update ASAP~!**

**Ciao!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: I Hate You**

* * *

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing! I'm fine! I said so already!"

"No, you're not! You look terrible!"

"Oh, what a _nice_ thing to say!"

"W-Wait, I didn't mean it like that—"

They were yelling.

Arms crossed, standing on either ends of the room, the distance between them a battlefield.

Jack's normally white face was tinged with pink, his eyes darkening with the same ferocity as they would on Halloween Evening. Though Sally's blood boiled with the anger she normally masked, her entire countenance was pale, ice-cold to the touch. Her normally thoughtful orbs were pools of endless black, emotionless.

They both saw red.

"Just go home, Jack!" she yelled angrily, repeating the same order that had begun their argument in the first place. Her voice was as cold as she looked

"Not until you tell me why you're mad! What did I do?" He was getting desperate now. His initially-defensive front slowly began to crumble as it made way for an unexpected feeling.

Heartbreak.

"I—I don't—j-just go! Who cares why?"

"But what did I do? Did I say something stupid? Did I offend you somehow? 'Cause I barely talked to you the whole day! And now that we're together, you're angry with me? _Please don't interrupt_," he muttered irritably as Sally opened her mouth to retaliate, "I need you to hear this. Tell. Me. What. I. Did. _Wrong_."

He was met with silence. And it was of a different kind. An unbearable one.

They could hear the faint raindrops in the background, hitting the pavement and glass.

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.

And the silence remained.

"Fine," spoke Jack bleakly, breaking that eternal soundlessness, tightening his hands into fists. His heart felt as though it had been ripped out of his ribs, chopped up into a million tiny pieces via Reaper's scythe, burnt into ashes, and finally thrown into coffin with a headstone that read_ "Screw You."_

Sally, momentarily stunned, blinked as the demon, the one who had been so persistent, so annoying, and just so determined to court her since day one, slumped his shoulders and finally _gave up_.

_He had gotten tired of her._

She was so shocked of that sudden realization that she could do nothing but stare as he gave her a fleeting, pained glance. He seemed to realize that she was not about to say anything and his face visibly fell. The window was let open as he reached it, and the sound of rain intensified the already-soundless room. And he still paused—one more chance—as though he really wanted to be stopped, wanted to be told to wait for a second.

He wasn't.

* * *

She lays there for who-knows-how-long, wrapped in her cold sheets and staring at complete darkness. Sounds are muted and she feels absolutely nothing.

He left.

He actually left.

The words replay in her mind over and over again, as though they want to embed themselves in her subconscious permanently.

She does not know what to feel. She's never been in this position before. Has she ever had a boyfriend? No, of course not. (She's never even had friends.)

The downpour increases.

Thunder.

A flash of light.

_Faintly…in her mind…_

_"IT LIVES!"_

Why is she not real? Why does she have to be so artificial?

If she had been born differently...

Could she have stopped this?

She twists further into herself, burying her face into her pillow. Her heart is empty. Her body is numb.

What she said—those awful, terrible things that escaped her lips—are possibly the biggest lies she has ever told. What went on in her mind at that moment was the complete opposite of what came out.

The look on Jack's face...oh, God, his eyes (eye-sockets? Oh, who cares?) They were so sad. They should never be anything less than happy and cheerful. He should never have to frown, have to feel pain or sorrow. His face is not meant for that. And yet...it was her who caused that look of despair. That look of betrayal and confusion.

She shuts her eyes tighter, hoping hoping _hoping_ that the tears will not fall, _not_ make her any weaker than she already is.

Regret washes over her body, drowning all the emotions in her heart. She fears that opening her mouth to sigh will result in a sob. So she smothers her face with the pillow, desperate to fall into darkness and just forget.

Why can't she sleep? Isn't it_ obvious_ she needs the _escape_? Her thoughts plague her, taunting.

That sad, broken face...a face that has recently been both a curse and a blessing, her light and her dark.

How can so much happen in just a few days? Perhaps having lived by her lonesome has made her accustomed to experiencing almost no change several years at a time, and maybe because of that, she's just not used to...this...

What is this?

What happened to the days where she sat in what felt like limbo for several eternities, with only her appearance (and undead hormones) changing to reassure her that time was passing? When she only cooked and cleaned and read and studied until day and night were practically undistinguishable? When she kept to herself and locked her emotions in a steel cage of self respect and determination, all for the purpose of avoiding more hurt?

What happened to the perfect experiment that was supposed to be her?

How could all that she had spent her entire afterlife building and solidifying just come crashing down like a stack of flimsy cards? After all the work she went through? The pain—physical, mental, emotional _all at once_—that she had to endure? Her loss of pride? Sense of self and purpose?

Her_ soul_?

_It was so unfair._

And it...it's his fault. If they had never met...if she had just taken the offer of the Scholars to attend Hades Castle...the most prestigious school...then there would be none of this. Whatever this is.

Stupid.

Stupid.

_Stupid._

A stupid mistake on her part. The biggest she's made...

Oh, no. Not true.

The worst...is falling for Jack Skellington.

The _bane_ of her very existence...

Thunder claps. Maybe even applauds her. Just as a joke, a tease.

**_Boom!_**

"I hate you..."

* * *

While the poor rag-doll had confined herself to her standard 'isolated' mode, Jack decided that now was the right time to break open his 'post-break-up gear'.

Which really just meant flirting with the majority (if not all) of the female population of the student body. But a little more—

"Hey, babe! Skell's back, so lunch on me, yeah?"

—_extreme_.

"Wait up, Bonehead!" panted Oogie Boogie as he attempted to stay on stride with his long-time friend/rival. The two were strolling around the main building of the Academy, with at least half an hour left until they were due for class.

Whenever one of them (mostly Jack) suffered from a break-up of sorts (because going on one date did not mean it was a relationship; that was something both boys learned from their excited 'girlfriends' the hard—and very painful—way), the two friends celebrated with something they've long since adopted as tradition: "The Awesome Rampage After The Break-Up."

Which was then shortened to "The Rampage."

Hey, it was a mouthful to have to say, what, ten words for just one little (and amazing) thing.

Oh, wait. There were just seven. Oops.

Moving on, the procedure of The Rampage was relatively simple. And when written down—where it is fairly easy to behold all its glory—made a really nice _list_. In fact, Oogie claimed to have one carved in the wall of their 'secret' hideout. Which was so secret that the very mention of it was strictly prohibited. Unless, of course, it was the burlap sack himself who had brought it up; at that point, everything he said was fair game since he made it. Be jealous.

But it looked something like this:

STEP 1: Begin at the top floor (thirteen). The endpoint is the Tactical Scaring fields.

STEP 2: Walk down the hallway and hit on all females in sight (Caution: Do NOT enter any classrooms! Teachers ARE capable of killing). Do this for all floors.

STEP 3: Be prepared to run away VERY QUICKLY from the following: Dr. Quack-Head, the Witch Twins, the Mayor (and his son), Reaper, and any others that can chase very well. Results may vary.

STEP 4:

...

Well, there was no step four. Oogie forgot what he was supposed to write down for that and, since it had already been carved, left it alone. It was really a shame, seeing as the list barely took up much of the wall. Maybe less than half, even.

So it looked sloppy and rushed. And, because the Boogie Man was such an awesome being, he didn't like anything pertaining to him to be regarded as 'messily done' and 'needed work.' But until either of them remembered what to do after the flirting and running away, it remained to be perfected.

But, since Oogie _had_ created it, did that not mean it was_ already_ perfect? Besides, it was pretty obvious _Jack_ had forgotten to mention what that fourth, probably _lame,_ step was in the first place. Totally _his_ fault.

And speaking of Jack...

He now seemed to have tweaked The Rampage a little bit. Oh, yes, he did follow all the steps. He definitely made sure to be _thorough_ with the second one. However, he was slightly...a little_ too_ enthusiastic.

"Dem! Demitri! You free at lunch today?"

"Your eight legs look extra_ hot_ today, Ana!"

"Me-du-sa~! Dinner okay with you, baby?"

See?

"Jack, what the actual _hell_ is wrong with you?" demanded Oogie as the skeleton blew kisses at a group of giggling banshees. Causing them to blush. And get nosebleeds. And squeal. Which wasn't very pleasant, as these ghouls_ knew_ how to annihilate eardrums.

But because the suave Pumpkin Prince lacked aforementioned eardrums, he only grinned at the overly-excited shrieks. It vanished, however, when he felt himself being tugged back and pushed against the wall as they rounded the corner.

"Jack, dude, have you gone crazy?"

"Mmm? Crazy, you say? Why, I've_ always _been crazy, Oogie!" As if to prove his point, the taller teen let out a maniacal, completely shiver-worthy cackle. His friend shuddered nervously, actually frightened himself. Of course, he'd sooner dye his body pink and put on a pair of green-and-purple trunks with flowery designs than admit that. Duh.

Not to mention, he was made out of_ bugs_. Bugs, which could also beat a pile of bones any day! Hell, didn't bugs _eat_ bones? Sure they did!

(...right?)

"You okay, bro? Here, how many fingers am I holdin' up?" He lifted his hand.

Jack sighed, mentally rolling his…eye-sockets. Awkward. "I'm not blind, Sackhead."

"Just answer me, damn it! We need to make sure!"

"Well, I still can't tell you that..."

"My God, something is wrong with you!" Oogie groaned in anguish, slapping a hand to his forehead. With a disbelieving shake of his head, he began to swear under his breath. "Crap. Did _cursing_ you actually work? Damn! I didn't mean it! I don't actually want you to die!"

"Uh, Sackface?"

"—well, _hell_ no, I take that back, sometimes I do, and I know that's often, but you're my only friend an—"

"_Oogie_!"

"—I mean I _really_ hate your undead guts and most days I just wanna _stick_ my bugs down your _skinny_—"

_"OOGIE BOOGIE!"_

"Huh? What?"

"...first off, you weren't holding any up fingers 'cause you're a freakin' sack. You have...like, a pointed end."

"...oh..."

"Two...you tried to curse me...?"

"..."

"...Oogie…

"In that case…"

"Oh, Oogie~"

"STEP THREE, YOU SON OF A—!"

* * *

**A/N: Witch.**

**Heheheheh.**

**Oh my gosh, I seriously cannot write teen!angst, can I? There's no set tone in this one. 'Tis all over the place.**

**First it's The Argument, then page break, then Sally Angst Moment, then page break, then Jack Is a Player and Oogie Can't Beat the Game.**

**Then page break.**

**Then THIS! Whatever garbage I put down here! Agh!**

**Ahem. Page breaks are the only consistent things here. Hah.**

**Sorry for the delay on this one. I had the file all ready to go last week, but the thing I use to move files to Word didn't work. I needed to give it time to be on idle!status. **

**The next one should be fun for the both of us. Jack's Rampage plus moody Sally equals good ol' female revenge. You have been warned.**

**Thanks for anybody who's still putting up with this! I'm trying to get in at least an update a month, but hopefully I could do more! I appreciate you taking the time to read my fics! **

**Well, until then! Ciao!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: How To Handle a Break-Up**

They say 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'.

And oh boy, was Sally _scorned_.

She had just arrived for class that day. And, it being the first day back after the apparent break-up, she wasn't too ecstatic. In fact, she considered just skipping the day altogether. But no, that wouldn't really help her much, now would it? Already, Igor knew something was wrong, and, despite not currently being on good terms with Jack, she'd decided to keep what had happen between her and the skeleton prince a secret. (Igor would surely murder him if he found out who made his little sister cry.)

Of course, said secret would only remain hidden until someone figured it out. Which wasn't at all a hard task; they refused to even make-eye contact, let alone _talk_. Who _wouldn't_ notice that the same two who had been clearly in love since day one suddenly wanted nothing to do with each other?

Regardless, Sally knew the day was going to be one of her worst, and she sure as heck wasn't prepared for it.

Ah, well...not much she could do anyway...

"Hey, Doll-Face, what's up?"

She turned around warily to glance at the source of the sudden voice, half-hoping—er, _dreading_ that it would be Jack. Oddly enough, it was Oogie Boogie.

Figures.

"Oh...hi, Oogie...how are you?" she greeted politely, attempting a smile. Which she really hoped didn't look extremely awkward on her face since it was practically forced.

"_Gooood_. Just—uh—you and Jack didn't happen to break up, now didja?"

Well, _there_ went her smile. Ah, bluntness...such an amazing thing. "Why do you ask?"

"He's being a _total_ manwho—ah, I mean, _flirt_. Yeah...so, I figured you guys were over."

"You figured we were over," Sally deadpanned with a sigh, forgoing her happy, 'everything is okay' attitude.

"That's how Jack rolls. He flirts with a girl, they get together for a few days, break up, then he moves on. Rinse and repeat, baby." The Boogie Man smirked, crossing his arms and looking off to the distance. Had he kept his eyes on the rag-doll, he would have noticed the heartbroken expression that momentarily crossed her face. But alas, he did not, and when he did glance back at her, she had cleared her face from any emotion.

"I see."

"Yup."

"And where is Jack?"

"Probably hitting on the entire All-Girls Potions Club."

"Huh..."

"He's going for one of the _banshees_."

"_Why_ are you telling me this?"

Oogie then grinned, leaning closer as though he were about to divulge his deepest, darkest secret. "'Cause I was hoping you might be interested in _me_ more if you knew he had someone else."

He had someone else._ He had someone else._

_Not you, **not** anymore. Someone else. A banshee, maybe. A gorgeous, beautiful banshee that you are totally not._

_He's with someone else._

_He's **over** **you**._

This was why she locked herself away. Why she kept her feelings bottled up inside. There were walls around her heart for this particular reason.

And yet, she had let one stranger—only _one_—open up her cage. Let him uncap the bottle. Let him tear down her walls.

And for what?

A few stupid kisses on her cheek, false praises and endearments, fake declarations of love, and a broken heart.

She wouldn't cry this time. No...she was better than that. She was _strong_. She could do this. She'd fight.

Fire with _fire_.

"...so, uhm, Oogie..."

"Yeah?"

"Wanna talk?"

* * *

_That_ was definitely a new record.

Totally, no doubt about it.

He scored a date with all of the females in the Potions Club. _All_ of them.

Bonus? They were all so freaking _hot_.

Apparently, good-looking girls loved to make potions and things of the like.

Sally must, too, because she was definitely the _prettiest_—

_Pfffffffttttttt_—WOAH.

No, no! He didn't care, he _didn't_ care, _he didn't care_.

Pfft. Sally? What about her? Who _was_ Sally? He didn't know. Don't ask him.

He _didn't_ love her. Of course not! That painful tingle in his chest was _nothing_. Probably tired, or worried about the upcoming endless boredom in the form of his classes. Yes..._that_ was it. And his stomach _wasn't_ in knots; he was so obviously _hungry_. The warmth in his cheeks? Why, the weather was unbearably _horrid_! _Sunny_, and all that.

No, it was _not_ raining outside. No, there were absolutely _no_ clouds—

CRACK! **BOOM!**

_WOOSH!_

—and those were definitely **not** thunderstorms or howling winds!

It was _hot_! The sun—which was definitely _there_ and _not_ hidden behind the almost-black clouds—was out and _bright_!

Bad weather, I tell you!

And he _wasn't_ in love with Sally and _NO_, he did not miss her, _thankyouverymuch_!

"Running late, Skellington?"

Jack started at the voice, thoughts of _obvious_ denial shattering. He whipped around, only to come face-to-face with a very put-off Harlequin. Unlike usual, the clown was simply _holding_ onto his unicycle instead of riding around on it.

Now wasn't that weird?

"Hey, Clown Face. What's wrong with you?"

"You know how you and Sally broke up?" bluntly said the bigger monster haughtily with a scowl, arms crossed. In front of him, the future king shifted nervously.

"Yeah?" he muttered, unable to leave out the contempt in his voice.

"Well, me and the rest of the guys were kinda hopin' to put the moves on her, y'know." _Right_. Like _that_ was a good thing to say to a girl's _ex_-boyfriend. Geez...why so _blunt_? "But Oogie, that scumbag..."

"What about Oogie?" Jack questioned sharply, narrowing his eye slits. He felt a deep sense of foreboding at the pit of his stomach, something he was not normally accustomed to. The last time he felt this anxious was when attempted to climb up a rich classmate's mansion in order to flirt with his sister. He didn't really need to point out all the flaws in that one. But that story was for another day…or lifetime. He'd rather not remember.

Harlequin seemed to pay no attention to the other's warning tone. Which was a shame, because he missed the deadly aura and tense atmosphere as well.

"Obviously he's already gotten a head start; he's flirting with her right now."

Jack was gone no sooner were the words out of his friend's mouth.

* * *

She _really_ shouldn't be doing this.

It wasn't very nice.

She'd rather not hurt anybody.

No more, please.

But...

"—then we jumped outta the window and old Fink threw a buncha beakers at us! Ah, good times, good times..."

"You guys get into a lot of trouble," Sally laughed, swinging her legs back and forth. Oogie was leaning against her desk, grinning in amusement. She smiled up at him and he suddenly looked away, cheeks burning.

"Y-yeah. We never get caught, or anything..."

"Uh-huh. It's pretty amazing you haven't died again by now..."

"I know, right? That's 'cause I'm totally _awesome_. My plans _never_ fail."

The rag-doll giggled again, her stomach in knots. She couldn't help but think Oogie looked kind of _adorable_ when he wasn't trying to up-one Jack. Then she mentally slapped herself for thinking such a thing.

_'Where did that come from?'_

Perhaps she had too much fun talking with him. Perhaps she realized that he appeared to be more serious about relationships. Perhaps his attitude was so different from Jack's that she couldn't help but be _intrigued_ with that.

Perhaps she found someone she could really _relate_ to.

Oogie wasn't the only one who was always in the shadows, after all.

He was cute and sweet. In his own demented way...

At the same time, a voice in the very, very, _very_ back of her mind reminded her that he wasn't—and never would be—Jack. But since the voice was in the very, very, _very_ back of her mind, she quickly ignored it.

"Hey, Rag Doll..."

"Yeah?"

"If—if you want...maybe…would you wanna check out my casino? I'll let ya in before we open up...and...it's pretty cool…" Oogie trailed off, unable to make eye-contact with her. Beside him, Sally stiffened briefly, mind racing.

_'That would be a date...'_

Did she want to go on a date? With someone who _wasn't_ Jack Skellington?

No?

Yes?

Maybe?

Would this make her the bad guy? Would people see her as a _cheater_?

But...wasn't _Skellington_ the one who was going off in some sort of rampage, hitting on every girl possible? Surely he wouldn't care if she decided to see other guys... It wasn't his business anyway.

At the same time, his _best friend_? Would _that_ be a safe bet?

And what about _her_? What was her motive, really? Did she want to date someone else for the sake of doing so, or was she just trying to annoy her ex-boyfriend? Did she even like Oogie?

Well…she _could_. Perhaps if she got to know him better…_perhaps_…

Thankfully, she never had to answer.

Because at that precise moment, Jack came bursting through the door, looking absolutely _venomous_.

* * *

**A/N: Oh, God. THIS. Story.**

**Kill me now.**

**I don't even know what I was planning to do...TBH, I haven't had any interest with this fandom in such a long time. However, I felt obligated to finish this up. No matter how hard DX**

**Short chapter is short. Sorry bout that. **

**By the way, thanks for the reviews! They're so lovely ;)**

**Until next time~!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Awkward, Disconnected Lines**

* * *

Sally could safely say she'd never been in such an awkward position.

Even that incident with Reaper lacked the kind of tense atmosphere that had settled in the room at the current moment.

Well...not quite the whole room; just the triangle of hers, Oogie's, and Jack's seats.

And it seemed everybody but she was oblivious to the pointed death-glare contest between the skeleton prince and his (ex?) best friend.

Ignorance truly was bliss, it seemed.

Sally vaguely wondered if she should say something; after all, this was indirectly her fault. Somewhat. Maybe. Sort of.

Alright, she was completely to blame.

"Uhm..." she began timidly, unsure as to how to approach this situation.

The situation being her growing an interest in Boogie while still undeniably harboring strong, confusing feelings for Skellington.

Oh, dear god. If she didn't know any better—and believe her, she freaking did—she'd say they were stuck in some cheesy love triangle business.

But surely that wasn't the case; Jack hated her, didn't he? And if she remembered correctly, love triangles required love from _all_ corners.

She shook her head. No. Absolutely not. There wasn't a love triangle. What was going on resembled nothing more than disconnected _lines_. She just happened to be the origin.

She was spared from having to start a conversation with the two by Igor casually ambling in, silencing the passing period chit-chats of the classroom. They had a mutual agreement with him that if they paid absolute attention and made no interruptions, he'd not only lay off the homework but give them a free period to do the in-class assignment of the day.

And it helped that everybody knew Igor's presence meant the lack of his quackjob father's.

"Professor Finkelstein is currently in a board meeting," he announced dryly, crossing his arms as he leaned against the doorframe. Several girls giggled at that, making Sally roll her eyes. Igor didn't notice a thing, oblivious as he was. "So I'm here to give you guys some busy work."

The class immediately groaned in unison. All heads turned to the Boogie Man, expectantly waiting for a loud, drawn-out complaint filled with exaggerations and obscene references to insects. They were startled to instead be met with absolute silence.

Even Igor caught on to that. But he had to be at least a bit professional and therefore decided not to vocalize his teasing concern.

Sally didn't have to turn around to know Oogie was still glaring furiously at Jack.

What she would give to have heard the conversation that had transpired between them only a handful of minutes ago.

She didn't think she could ever forget the homicidal look on Jack's face as he slammed the doors open and menacingly approached her and Oogie; or the way he'd hissed, "Outside. Now," in collected fury at Oogie, whose grin—the one that had just been plastered on his face to amuse and flirt with Sally—vanished completely and so quickly that Sally wasn't even sure if he'd been grinning at all.

Nobody knew what had been said except the two of them. Apparently, they'd gone somewhere private and recluse. Otherwise, everybody would've been talking about the epic shouting match between the Pumpkin Prince and the resident bug overlord.

But whatever was said in their exclusive battle had clearly angered the both of them to the point that just looking at each other made their metaphorical blood boil. Sally didn't have to be a genius—though she really was—to know that she'd been the sole cause of the argument.

Now she swallowed nervously. Jack and Oogie, from what she could gather, had been friends for the longest time. If they fell out all because of her inability to keep others away, she didn't think she could set foot in Halloween Academy ever again. As it was, her earlier sadness and anger at the breakup took a backseat to this newfound guilt. Looking back, it seemed childish that she had been so caught up with the end of a small high school romance that probably wouldn't mean a thing to her in a year's time. When had she become so selfish? When had she put her emotions above everything else so carelessly that a seventeen-year-old friendship was at risk?

She had to fix this somehow.

As if aware of his sister's plight, Igor then announced that he'd let them work in groups of three, four if someone was left out. But preferably, three.

Three.

Sally made a mental note to make her brother's favorite for dinner that evening.

"Jack? Oogie?" she weakly attempted the moment Igor let them loose. Both boys turned to her in silent reply. However, she noticed that the ferocity of their gazes were nonexistent as they regarded her with fondness.

"What's up, Doll Face?"

"Yes, Sal?"

She smiled warily. "Would you guys like to work with me on this group assignment?"

"Wait, what group assignment?" Oogie asked in surprise, glancing around to see that, indeed, they had just been given a task. Igor conveniently decided at the moment to slap a bound packet of aging paper onto Oogie's desk.

"_This_ group assignment, Boogie Man," he chortled, unable to conceal his amusement at the disgusted look on Oogie's face. He turned to Jack and Sally. "Did I hear right? You three are working together?"

"Unfortunately," sighed Jack, glaring hatefully at his once friend. He noticed Igor frowning at him as his words and their implication sunk in. If he could blush, he most certainly would. "I-I meant Oogie," he backpedalled nervously, eye sockets wide. "I'd love to work with Sally—she's very pleasant to be with and so very pretty—uh, pretty smart! Yeah. I didn't say she was pretty—wait, I don't mean it like _that_—she is, you know! Pretty. And nice..."

Sally turned away and covered her mouth to keep from laughing. Igor raised an eyebrow but thankfully decided to leave the flustered prince alone. He walked away slowly, as if waiting for Jack to go on another spiel. When Igor was out of earshot, Jack let out a relieved sigh.

"That was mortifying," he muttered under his breath. Sally grinned.

"I thought nothing could mortify you, oh great scary Pumpkin Prince?"

"My dear, _nothing_ scares me," Jack boasted cockily, back to his normal egotistical (yet oddly charming) self. "That was merely a common phrase that others use."

"Uh-huh," said Sally dubiously. "I'm sure."

Oogie just scowled.

* * *

It turned out that Jack didn't hate her at all. Sally almost wished that she'd just struck a conversation with him after the incident in her room during that stormy night; the forty-five minutes of class she just spent chatting with Jack patched things up quite nicely. They hadn't back gotten together, per se, but at least they were friends again.

Oogie had been a part of their conversation, too. Except he mostly threw insults at Jack while Sally tried to be the level-headed mediator.

But their bonding came with a price; five minutes before the end of the class and they hadn't done a single thing.

"Oh, no..."

"What's wrong?"

"We had an assignment," whispered Sally as she frantically flipped through the packet. The questions were easy enough and she could definitely complete them in around two minutes, three tops. But as it was group work, it required group effort, and she was sure her father would be able to tell if she did the whole thing.

"Four minutes left of class," Igor called suddenly, shattering her thoughts. "What you guys haven't finished is homework. Due Monday."

"You see?" Jack grinned triumphantly. "We can just meet up over the weekend!"

Oogie made a face. "Ugh. Like I need to spend more time with you, bonehead."

"Nobody's asking _you_ to come," snapped Jack in retaliation. "I was talking to Sally, anyhow."

"Well, Igor knows Oogie's part of our group," Sally defended the burlap sack, causing him to grin at her. "He can't skip out on the work..."

"He can write our names in the front," scoffed the skeleton royalty, flicking his hand in distaste. He noticed Sally giving him a pointed look and finally sighed. "Alright," he relented, to the relief of the pretty rag-doll. "Whatever. He can work with us."

Resisting the urge to remind Jack that it was never really up to _him_ to decide whether or not Oogie would be part of the group, Sally turned to the packet. "Okay..."

Jack probably wouldn't want to set foot near Oogie's casino home. And Oogie surely would rather burn at the stake (for the eighth time) than enter Jack's mansion.

Which left only one option.

* * *

"You have friends coming over, right?"

"Yes. Igor, are you positive Dad'll be gone the whole weekend?"

"Sal, you know how board meetings are. He'll be arguing with the Christmas Town department of mad science chair for hours just about the seating arrangement." Her brother laughed then, closing the newspaper he'd been reading. Sally nodded absently as she wiped the sleek black surface of the dining table for the hundredth time that morning. Igor watched her in amusement from his seat on one of the matching chairs. "Sally, that thing's been spotless for at least two hours."

"Still."

Rolling his eyes, Igor pushed himself off the chair and stretched, mindful to keep ahold of the paper instead of setting it on the table like he normally would've done. Sally immediately scurried over to push the chair in for him, wanting everything to be perfectly straight.

Igor almost laughed. There was Sally for you. "You're awfully jittery for just a homework date."

The look she threw him was incredulous. "Please don't say that word."

"Date?"

She shuddered. "Exactly. Anyway, it's not even a date. Ja—Skellington, Boogie, and I just need to finish that packet from yesterday."

"How hard, exactly, was that packet?"

"Not hard at all, between you and me," Sally admitted bashfully. She would never tell her father that, but Igor shared a different, more relaxed bond with her. He wouldn't tell a single soul half the things she'd shared with him over the years. "But we didn't really...manage our time, so to speak."

"Two boys over, and from what I hear, the most popular ones of your year! My, my, Sally, you're quite the _heartbreaker_, aren't you?"

"Igor," she groaned at the smirking ghoul, crossing her arms. "It's not like that."

"It's not like you were dating Skellington for a few days then broke up then used Boogie for rebound?"

Sally was sincerely grateful she hadn't been holding anything. Otherwise, she'd be cleaning up the broken pieces. "W-what?"

Igor just smiled. "I hear things, Sal. The good thing about being just a TA is that I'm both a teacher and a student—I speak both kid and adult rather fluently."

"Which means rumors get to you just as easily," she groaned in realization, covering her face with her hands. It took her brain a second longer to fully process what her brother had just said. "Oogie is _not_ my rebound!" she exclaimed as her head snapped up, feeling very offended.

Igor had the decency to look ashamed. "Uh...maybe I shouldn't have worded it like that."

"Maybe you shouldn't have said it _at_ _all_."

"I see this is a touchy subject for you," the older Finkelstein chuckled, nonplussed at the death glare he was receiving from his sibling. Walking away, he looked at Sally over his shoulder. "I trust everyone will behave accordingly. If you need me, I'll be upstairs."

Sally's mouth dropped open. "You're not staying with us?"

"Nope. The point of weekends is to be away from work." He paused, eyes sparkling. "Sally, you look really pretty."

"Huh?"

"Too pretty. That dress is adorable as hell."

"Thank...you?"

"Let me remind you that my absence does not mean I don't see and hear everything. I trust Skellington and Boogie to act as the gentlemen they claim they are, but just in case, I do have your back."

As an afterthought, he added, "I'd feel more comfortable if you wore one of Dad's lab coats. It'll be a real turn-off, let me tell you."

"I can imagine," giggled Sally with an eye-roll. She waved goodbye at her brother and headed into the living room where her school things laid. After making sure everything was there, she briefly checked the refrigerator to make sure the snacks she'd made earlier were still intact (Igor had quite an appetite).

Rotten pumpkin juice, brain-and-guts sandwiches, and applecore cobbler were just a few things they had. On a kitchen counter were some spider-leg cookies, fried moths, and chewy eyeballs.

Excessive, maybe, but better than lacking.

Sally ducked into the bathroom one last time to make sure the facilities were decent. Not a hair out of place, thank goodness. On her way out, she caught sight of her reflection and hesitated.

Her dress wasn't that pretty. It was just a bunch of rags and old cloth she'd found and stitched together. Why, it was practically a wearable quilt.

If anything, she looked underdressed. Maybe even sloppy.

Oh, dear. She needed to change! How could she possibly let Jack and Oogie see her like th—

_Ding-dong!_

**Knock-knock-knock.**

"What the hell, Oogie? I already hit the doorbell!"

"Hey, I was mid-freaking-knock when you decided to ring like an old lady!"

"Why, you little—"

Figuring she needed her group members alive (er...or as alive as they could get at Halloween Town) to work on this assignment, Sally practically sprinted to the door, her pathetic dress be damned. By the time she got the door open, Jack and Oogie were almost nose-to-nose in a terrifying stare-down. Unlike most ghouls, Sally could not only _sense_ magic but _see_ it; and right now, she could make out the green glow forming around Jack's clenched fingers and the unnerving, smirking shadow towering behind Oogie. Swallowing nervously, she willed herself to ignore both and cleared her throat.

Both boys turned to stare at her, the harsh expression on their faces melting into stunned awe. Both Jack's green glow and Oogie's shadow vanished with a blink of an eye.

* * *

Jack was stunned.

Sally was...holy hell, Sally was absolutely _gorgeous_!

She had donned a beautiful, sleeveless dress, made up of several types of cloth. It fell just below her knees, billowing out at the torn ends. The v-neck design showed off her stitches in a flattering yet not inappropriate manner. Her legs—were they always so shapely and, well, _perfect_?

But it was her face that did it for Jack. The way she kept her head bowed slightly, her eyes shy and lowered, as if she didn't want to meet piercing, judgmental gazes. It was oddly innocent.

Or maybe it was because Sally looked so unsure of herself regardless of the fact that she was absolutely flawless. Then again, maybe she was unsure _because_ of that.

Whatever it was, Jack was smitten. Here was the only girl he'd ever met who hadn't been acutely aware of her natural beauty and willing to flaunt it whenever the chance came up. Here was a girl who probably had no idea she made every guy's head turn in the hallways, and made girls sigh in envy.

Here was the girl who'd unknowingly snatched his undead heart with that shy smile and careful greeting, who'd pulled him in when she'd initially shoved him away.

Here was the girl who'd buckled him down for the most intense emotional thrill ride he'd ever been on, and who'd stopped the ride at the top of the tallest hill.

Jack swallowed. His face felt unbearably warm and somehow he knew he wouldn't be able to speak even if he tried.

This wasn't the same as before.

He panicked. Whatever he was feeling now was scaring him.

Why did he feel so strongly?

Why Sally?

* * *

Oogie couldn't for the life of him look away.

Sally was hot. Smoking. The finest piece of work ever created.

Her dress was innocently sexy; it was obviously hand-crafted and very well made. Boogie liked that.

But it wasn't just how pretty she looked; it was how modest she felt.

He could tell Sally wasn't very confident and thought little of herself. While she didn't wear her heart on her sleeve, Oogie could read her like a book.

He was the same. His inner thoughts, his _true_ thoughts, had been locked away to the deepest recesses of his mind, forgotten and untouched. This persona he'd put on—this loud, boisterous, bug-obsessed playboy—was only partly him.

Truth was, he felt scared. He was lonely. He hated Jack yet cared about him all the same. He was bitter he didn't have any parental figures growing like Jack did; he was angry that he didn't have a family to come home to at the end of the day. He was rich, sure—truth be told, his casino made him wealthier than even the Pumpkin King and his son—but even money got boring after a while. He wasn't completely miserable, but he was bothered.

And Sally would understand that, wouldn't she?

To be seen and judged just on outside appearances and status, and have what was inside—what _mattered_—completely _disregarded_—Sally _had_ to understand.

And that was when he knew he was in trouble.

Oogie was so sure he was only physically attracted to Sally. He was convinced this crush was shallow and fun and definitely nothing long-term.

But now...it didn't seem that simple anymore.

And he was scared.

* * *

**A/N: Ya'll probably getting tired of my erratic updates. I can't promise when the next one will be.**

**I'm such a hypocrite. I get all pissed when I'm reading a fic that hasn't been updated since 2009 and yet here I am, not giving two beeps about half my own fics. Ugh. **

**_Where the hell are you going with this fic, you insufferable turd?_ you may be wondering (or not...I don't know you). **

**Well, this turd is here to say she has no freaking idea. Come, join me as I blindly try to figure out where the plot is. **

**I check my Tumblr more than I do this site, so if you wanna yell at me or something, hit me up there! I go by the same name, just for your convenience. Because I live to please. (*Eyeroll*)**

**Can I take this moment to apologize for all the grammar/spelling mistakes? Because this fic is full of them. Le sigh. **

**Until next time! (cross your fingers for April 2016!)**

**I jest.**

**Mostly.**


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